Blood Rush
by Liquidation
Summary: The 74th Hunger Games. Alliances will be made and bonds will be broken. This SYOT is centered around ten tributes and their struggle to survive the Hunger Games from their point of view. I can promise all of my readers a great story for your money back.
1. District One: Vanity and Magnus

I sat in one of the plush chairs in my family's living room. It was the morning of the reaping and of course, District One was first. I sat immaculately in my designer heels and dress straight from the capitol. It was a knee-length pastel pink dress with roses sewed into the side. Only the best for my opening debut on camera. This year, I was chosen by the district council to volunteer. My district was certain I was going to win this year's Hunger Games. I, myself, was set on winning.

A knock on the door brought me out of my musings as my cousin, Magnus, entered. He was wearing nice slacks, a red shirt, a black tie, and a designer black sports jacket. His neatly parted hair was as perfect as ever. Though he may be my cousin, he didn't quite inherit my perfect genetics. He was handsome, but in a cute, boyish way. Whenever he smiled, noticeable dimples would appear on each cheek and he had a kind of feminine look about him, though I knew he wasn't homosexual. Unlike me, he lacked confidence, and that would surely be his down fall. He was the male selected to volunteer for the Hunger Games.

"Magnus," I regarded him as he sat down.

"You nervous?" he asked. His hands were a little shaky and he forced a smile. We loved each other to death, but we both knew who would win if we were the last ones standing. He knew he was going to die in that arena.

I twirled a golden curl and looked at him calculatingly. "No cousin, but I can tell you are."

He gave me one of those dimply smiles. "I can't help it."

I sighed and gave him a pitiful look. "I know you can't." I changed the subject to get off the depressing topic. "What is your district token?"

Magnus reached into his jacket and produced a golden pocket watch. It was an heirloom that was passed down through his family. It's a shame that it will be lost in the arena. Maybe I can retrieve it after I win.

"Father gave me it this morning… What did you get?"

I extended my hand and let the light catch the large diamond on my finger. My parents went and bought me a dazzling diamond ring for the occasion. "Beautiful isn't it? Just imagine, I will be able to by hundreds of these and a kingdom and still have plenty of riches left after I win."

"Of course you will. Nothing but the best," Magnus replied, though I could sense a bit of sorrow in his voice. He can be so dramatic.

"Come. We will be late for our reaping," I stated, getting up and heading for the door.

**oxoxoxoxoxoxo**

"Citizens of Panem, it is in my great honor to present to you first tributes for this year's annual Hunger Games!" The representative from the capitol announced as Magnus and I stood proudly on the stage. Our district applauded and cheered, and in my head, I could hear the capitol chant my name. I don't care what it takes, but I'm going to win these games and no one's going to stop me.

**Magnus Luxuria**

I walked slightly behind my confident cousin as we went to recieve our last farwells... well at least I went to recieve my last farwells. Vanity was a shoe in to win. She was absolutely gorgeous with her golden curls, bright blue eyes, flawless skin, and very persuasive curves. Her figure could be compared to what the capitol girls call a 'Barbie'. Ever since we were kids, she would always use her charms and appearance to get what she wanted. I think that because of all the attention and adoration she recieved, I always lived in her shadow. At first I was angry and frustrated that she overshadowed me, but I found peace with it as I grew older. She was like a sister to me and I adored her. She was adored by the adults, loved by the boys, and hated by the girls. I think it was because the other girls were so jealous of her beauty that she found solace with her reflection. She was well aware of her beauty and used it to her advantage. Don't get me wrong, I loved her more than anything, but I knew her better than anyone else, even herself. She was vain. She hated when her beauty was threatened and she was an ambitious individual. She would never give up until she got what she wanted. She was beautiful, charming, and charismatic on the outside and in public, but when alone with her thoughts, there was something sinister and twisted going on in her head. Vanity was always one for physical affection, but she never was emotionally attatched to any one of her past beaus. It was almost as if she disdained their presence, but didn't mind them showering her with gifts, attention, and affection. I honestly didn't think she was capable of it. I don't think she even loved her parents, but she was spoiled by them, so she acted the part. In reality, she was all alone without a friend in the world. Her beauty was her strength and her downfall. I was the only one she really opened up to and she was thankful for it. Vanity didn't like to show it, but I knew she always wanted me around because I was the only one who loved her for being herself, not her beauty. In all honesty, I pity her, not me, when these games are over. Then she will truly be alone.

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**Okay, so the district one tributes are decided. I still need plenty of character submissions though. I will probably be closing up shop in a few days, so act fast. Read and review, thanks guys!**


	2. District Two: Shade and Noelle

**District Two**

**Shade Verin**

One hundred and ninety-eight. _Exhale. _One hundred and ninety-nine. _Exhale. _Two hundred.

"Shade!"

I drop down from the pull-up bar and turn to see my father standing in the doorway of our training room. I shake my head to the side so that my black hair is out of my face. No matter what I do with it, it's always a mess. I eventually gave up on it.

"What?" I asked dully with a scowl on my face.

"You were supposed to be dressed and ready to go to the reaping half an hour ago. Go shower and get dressed. Your mother won't be happy about this," he ordered briskly, crossing his arms.

I glared at him, but made my way to my room. After showering and changing, went down to the foyer where my parents were waiting for me. Now I just had to meet their expectations.

"It's about time. We're going to be late," mother shrieked as she circled me like a hawk, making sure I was up to her standards. My family was fairly well off, but that wasn't enough for them. The reason I was born was to bring honor to the Verin name. They wanted a victor and the trained me as such. They hired mentors to train me and I never wanted for anything… but their affection. They didn't care about me. To them, I was their one-way ticket to fortune. I remember when I was twelve and objected about it, my father lashed at me. I still have a scar on my left cheek from that. When I went along with their plans, it was better for all of us.

"Ugh, I don't know who you inherited this mop of hair from," mother scoffed as she tried to fix my hair. "Nothing I can do about it now. Come, we'll be late."

It was my year to volunteer. My parents were determined that I was going to win. Frankly, I was sure I was going to win as well, but not because I had the drive to. It was expected of me.

I didn't have any friends considering that I spent most of my time training. Most people were intimidated by me anyways. I didn't care for friends though. It seemed natural to me now.

I did my part and volunteered, but there was a bit of an uproar when selecting the female tribute. Some girl named Bianca was reaped. Just at a glance I could determine that she would die in the bloodbath. What I wasn't expecting was for a scrawny girl with black curly hair to immediately volunteer. She was a thin girl and by the looks of her attire, I could tell she was from a poorer family. That Bianca girl must have been her friend. When I got a better look of her on stage, she was indeed thin, but lightly toned and her cheeks and eyes were slightly hallowed from hunger. She later proclaimed herself as Noelle Tomas, but I guess I didn't really care. She was probably worse off than her friend.

**Noelle**

I waited for my visitors in my confined room. I knew from the impassive gaze my fellow tribute gave me that he marked me off as not being a threat. He probably thought I was a frail and weak little girl who couldn't fend for herself. He was wrong. Some pampered boy wouldn't know the first thing about struggling or strife. I had to help support my two siblings for years. I was thrust into adulthood at a young age and that hardened me. It has made me stronger.

I was visited first by my best friend Bianca. Her face was still tearstained from the reaping. Neither of us expected that either of us would be sent to the games. In a flash, she threw her arms around me and sobbed.

"Oh god Noelle. I'm so sorry! This is my fault. You shouldn't have volunteered for me. Even if I were to sell my soul, I would never be able to make it up to you!"

"Bianca, it's fine, really. I was planning on volunteering anyway."

"What?" she asked, sniffling and whipping her tears.

"My family needs the victor money and we can't keep on accepting help from your family forever. Your family has helped us so much and I am thankful for that. Consider your debt paid."

She shook her head. "That isn't enough. We never wanted you to pay us back. My parents are so grateful that they can't even bare to see you. You saved me with the price of your life."

"No. I'm coming home, Bianca. I promise. I have too much at stake to lose."

"My family will take care of Belle and Noel while you're gone… I'm going to miss you so much," she murmured as we hugged once more.

Not a moment after Bianca was escorted out, my half-sister, Belle came barreling in. My mother died having me and it devastated by father. He remarried a little later and had Belle with my stepmother. Only a few years later, my father was killed by the very monsters he helped create; the mutts for the Hunger Games. I never witnessed his death, but I still have nightmares of how I imagined it to be like. Belle's mother left us for dead shortly after and since then, I my brother, Noel, and I had to care for Belle.

"Noelle!" Belle screamed as she ran into the room and embraced me. She sobbed uncontrollably into my shirt and hugged me for dear life.

"Shhh, it's okay Belle. Everything's going to be fine," I tried to comfort.

"No! No it's not. Don't go Noelle. We need you!" She cried. "Don't die. Don't die."

"I'm not going to die, Belle. I'll be back, I promise. Bianca's family will help take care of you while I'm gone."

"You promise you'll come back?" she sniffed.

"Yes… and we'll finally have enough money to live comfortably. I'll buy you all the candies you want. You'd like that right?"

She slowly nodded hesitantly as I rocked her on my lap soothingly until the peacekeepers ripped her away from me. It broke my heart.

Next, my older brother Noel came in. He had so much sorrow in his eyes, but he refused to allow his tears to be shed.

"Are you going to scold me?" I asked quietly when he didn't say anything.

He sighed and shook his head. "No. I just… remember to use your head. I believe in you, Noelle."

I ran up to him and hugged him. I could feel his tears soak through my sleeve. "Remember to eat a lot before going in. Learn as much as you can about survival and the other tributes. Don't allow people to think you're strong."

"What?" I asked, confused, pulling away from him.

"I already know your district partner thinks you're weak. Use it to your advantage. Make them think you're weak, but surprise them in the arena. They'll never see it coming."

I stared at him, but nodded slowly. He was always the logical one. "Alright."

"Here. Your token," he said retrieving a necklace from his pocket. A snowflake pendant dangled from the delicate chain. My eyes widened as I realized it was my mother's necklace. "I was waiting to give it to you when you turned eighteen, but fourteen's good enough for me."

Noel helped me put it on and he studied me for a moment. His eyes became glossy and I think, for a short moment, he saw our mother instead of me. "Mom and dad would be so, so proud of you. _I'm _proud of you."

He gave me one last embrace before the peacekeepers took him from me. I couldn't help but cry as I buried my face in my hands.

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	3. District Six: Kin Ochi

**District Six**

**Kin Ochi (I'm sure that the pun was intended)**

_I stared at the house as it went up in flames. It was just so beautiful, but deadly. The screams of the dying family inside was almost mute to me as I was so entranced by the flames. So beautiful…_

I woke up with a start and was panting heavily. I looked around to see my fellow street rats sleeping peacefully in their makeshift beds. I took a deep breath before falling back on the pillow that I stole years ago. Underneath it was my lighter. I always kept it near me. It made me feel whole. As I lay in bed, my thoughts drifted back to my dream… It was more like a memory more than a dream. My life has been nothing but bad memories.

_"You're worthless. You will never make me proud and you're just a waste of space!"_

I winced at the memory etched in my brain. My mother was a bitch. She hated me and left her fair share of scars on me. Cigarette burns that is. I think the reason why I have an obsession with fire is because of that. I eventually had enough and I ran away and my uncle took me in. He was the only person who ever cared for me. He understood me and loved me… but of course, my happiness is often short lived.

"I'm sorry to inform you, but you're uncle is dead. He died in an accident earlier this morning."

"Get out of my house you ungrateful bitch! I never want to see your disgusting face again!"

My parents abandoned me when I returned after the death of my uncle. That's how I ended up here. I lived in this abandoned building with many boys who were also abandoned or orphaned. I remember when they first took me in, I wanted to be just like them so I cut my black hair short. I kept the cropped locks since then. It kind of defined who I was since I was practically a boy like them. Most people who don't know me mistake me for a boy anyways. In a weird way, we were like a family. We watched each other's backs, shared our goods, and helped each other out. We were the street rats. Our district hated and shunned us from society.

I guess I can't really blame myself for turning out as I am. I've always had this obsession with fire. I still have my first lighter. I remember stealing it and lighting everything I could get my hands on. It first started off as leaves, papers, and trash, but the more I did it, the more I wanted to do. It was like a drug for me. I soon wanted to see bigger fires. I can't even explain my fascination for them. It happened one night that one of the boys suggested I light a house on fire. They were well aware with my problem, but wanted me to express it. We went to a house that had long been abandoned and it went up like a candle. They ran as soon as we heard the screams. Apparently a family had moved in a few days ago and were being burned inside the house. I should have run, but something nailed me to my spot. It was so brilliant and beautiful. Like a moth to a flame, I was drawn in. I found a kind of pleasure watching and hearing their screams within the flames… It scared me. It wasn't long before some peacekeepers found me and brought me to the town square for my punishment.

One full day of lashings. That was my punishment. The district people cursed and threw things at me for the crime I had done. They said it was typical of a street runt like myself. They were supposed to kill me that day, but they didn't. At the last second, they dismissed my execution, much to the people's displeasure. I knew though, that that wasn't the end of it.

I flicked my lighter on and off in the darkness. Fire; it gave me the warmth and light that was never in my life. I loved and hated it. It was turning me into a monster. After the house incident, I found myself itching to burn someone. Anyone. It scared me.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of shuffling. My fellow runts were preparing for the day; the reaping.

"About time. We thought you were going to sleep right through the drawing, Sleeping Beauty," Rio, the oldest of the group stated while tidying himself up. Even street rats were required to attend the reaping.

I groaned and sat up tiredly. Great, it was that time of year again. I got up and watched the other boys prepare. They at least wanted to look a little more presentable that normal, but I didn't care. I never cared for the games considering we couldn't watch it without a TV.

I was forced to stand amongst the girls as they split us up according to age and gender. I felt my eye twitch as I saw girls wearing their bows and their pretty frilly dresses. I stuck out like a sore thumb among the clean pastels. I wore a dirtied dark shirt and pants and I was covered in dirt naturally. I didn't care if I looked like a guy. Girls were stupid and weak with their gossip, vanity, and obsession with love. It made me sick.

Soon, the capitol representative walked on stage. As usual, she was caked with makeup and wore a neon orange suit dress. Crazy capitol people…

"Hello citizens of District Six! I am very honored to be here this fine morning for the selection of this year's tributes," she proclaimed in an annoyingly high voice. Her capitol accident was heavy and repulsive. She continued her speech about how amazing our nation is and how it is a huge honor to be selected for the Hunger Games. It wasn't until nearly twenty minutes later did she get down to business. "And now, time for the drawing! Ladies first!" She sauntered over to the big container of names and made a big show of which name she picked. "Kin Ochi!" she announced, not even glancing at the paper. Now I was certain I knew why they spared my life. They were going to send me into the Hunger Games as punishment.

I sat waiting for a visitor, but none came. Finally, Rio walked through the door.

"Took you long enough. Do you have it?" I asked impatiently.

"Well I'm happy to see you too," he replied sarcastically, but pulled out a lighter from his pocket. It was my very first lighter. Of course, the gas was empty and the chamber was broken so it couldn't be refilled, but it meant something to me. "Your district token."

I gingerly took it from him and turned it over in my hands. How I wished I could light it right now. "Thanks."

"No problem… Look, we know just as well as you do that the drawing was rigged. This is their way of punishing you for your crime. But listen. You are going to go into those games and you are going to win. Prove them wrong and come back with riches. You will never be scorned by the district and starve again," Rio rambled.

"I know. I'm going to make those peacekeepers boil with rage."

Rio broke into a big grin. "You bet. We'll steal a TV just for the occasion. The boys wish you best of luck."

I gave him a lopsided smile. He was kind of like a brother to me. "Thanks Rio. Plan on seeing me again soon."

He punched me in the shoulder, something we did to show affection, before he was pulled out.

As he left, I felt something in the pit of my stomach grow. I really wanted to burn something.

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	4. District Seven: Aria and Levi

**District Seven**

**Aria Garnet**

I lounged lazily next to my friend Hatch in his room. It was the morning of the reapings and we were bored stiff waiting for it to begin. Mother was at home, probably cleaning or something. She always had to keep herself busy during the reapings. My father and brothers were out working in the forests. Somebody had to prepare the lumbar. My older brothers were above the qualification age to get reaped, but my parents worried about me. They couldn't bear to see their little girl get sent off to the Hunger Games.

I had been staying with Hatch for about a week now and my parents have been begging for me to come home. This tended to happen constantly. We got into a stupid argument about how I needed to _'work harder'_ and _'be responsible for once'_. Of course, my three older brothers were perfectly fine with me sitting around in the house while they did all the work. They worshiped the ground I walked on, but my parents' patience was wearing thin. Don't get me wrong, they spoiled me to death, but they wanted to mold me to be a _'respectable young lady'_. They wanted me to marry an honorable and rich man so he could pamper me like the princess I was. _Love; _I scoff at the very word. It's highly overrated and overused. I've had my fair share of relationships. I've been there, done that. It's pointless and takes too much effort. I'd rather just mess around his Hatch and that's what I've been doing for the past three years.

Right now, Hatch's family was out working so we had the house to ourselves. Hatch's parents adored me. With a little bit of charming, they melted at my feet. Hatch's older sister was impassive of me. She's heard the rumors, but as long as I don't bother her, she didn't care if I freeloaded off of them. Hatch and I have known each other for three years, and I when we met, I wasn't expecting that he was exactly like me. We hated work. We developed the skill to manipulate and charm people into doing the work for us. Actually, when I first met him, I tried to get him to do my homework for me, but he turned the tables and tried to get me to do his homework instead.

It was nearly half an hour before we had to report down to town square for the reaping and we had been waiting all day for the representatives from the capitol to get here. They had already selected the kids from District One through Six. I don't know much about any of the tributes, and I don't care to find out.

"Hatch I'm bored," I whined, shifting to adjust the ridiculous dress I borrowed from his older sister. "Entertain me," I urged as snaked my hand down his chest.

I felt his hand travel up my thigh. "Why don't you entertain me?" he retorted seductively with a slow smirk. "Why don't you put on a little show for me, or are you too pure for that, Princess?"

I knew what he was trying to do. He wanted me to break first by challenging me. Challenge accepted. I crawled over to him and swung my leg around him so that I was straddling him. "You want a show?" I asked, running my hands up his chest and into his hair. I had to admit, he was kind of cute. I shifted on top of him and brushed my lips against his neck. I feel the heat radiating off him and I was sure he could feel my breath on his ear. I could feel his heart racing next to mine, though my beat was slow and even. I smirked against his ear as I felt his hands run up my leg.

"Checkmate." With that, I moved away from him to see that he was slightly red. He had a sour look on his face that I couldn't help but laugh at. "Aw, you're so cute when you're aroused."

"Shut up. You won this time, but mark my words, one day, you'll break down," he vowed with mock vengeance.

I smirked and rolled my eyes. "I believe that's what you proclaimed the last time."

There was a moment of silence before he spoke up. "So are you nervous about being possibly being reaped?" he asked, being serious for once. He was always a buzz kill whenever he was serious.

"No, my name's only in there once," I replied thoughtfully, lying down again. My shoulder length hair made a black halo around my face. "I think that even if I was reaped, I could win."

He laughed at this. "You? Please, you can't do anything by yourself and you know nothing about survival."

"You and I both know that with my skills, I can talk my way into winning the games. I would con my way into fame and fortune," I looked at him with curious green eyes. "And you never know, maybe when I'm famous and rich, I'll still remember you,"

Hatch outright laughed at this and threw a pillow at me. "Right. You can't even cook for yourself, let alone hunt people."

"I'll have people do it for me. I'll join the careers and then I'll slit their throats while the sleep." He shook his head with a smile on his face. "Oh come on, have some faith in me."

He threw up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I'll admit, if there's one person I know who has a shot at making it from our district, it's you, but the likelihood of you being picked is slim."

"That's more like it."

The reaping went… unexpectedly. I remember hearing my family's objections as they announced my name. I personally was shocked when I was called. I thought that maybe I heard it wrong, but my doubts were confirmed when the people around me moved away as if I had the plague. My district partner was some guy named Levi Pierce. Maybe I could manipulate him now so that he'll fight for me. He was kind of an awkward, stocky guy, but I knew he was very strong. He had been working in the lumbar mills since he was a kid.

I waited expectantly as people visited me for the last time before I was to leave. My brothers gave me teary goodbyes and my parents gave me a beautiful and expensive hairpin that they were meaning to give me for my birthday. I almost felt remorseful that I had been ignoring them for the past week. Almost. I was still right, of course.

My last visitor was Hatch. He stood at the door awkwardly, not knowing what to say. "Umm… maybe we should have knocked on wood?"

"Oh shut up," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"You're not nervous?" he asked surprised.

"Of course not. I wasn't boasting when I said I could make it out of the Hunger Games. I think about it this way, when life hands me lemons, I make lemonade. There's no use crying over it, so I might as well win. It'll bring me fame and fortune and I won't ever have to want for the rest of my life."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Of course you're not nervous. You better not die on me. What would I do for entertainment?"

"You could always find a job, settle down, and have a quaint little family."

There was a moment of silence before we burst out laughing. "God, Aria, I'm going to miss these jokes of yours."

"Don't get too upset. I'll be back in a few weeks."

"Time's up!" The peacekeeper announced and pulled Hatch out of the room before he could say anything more.

I took a deep breath as I sat alone in the room. I was going to win the Hunger Games and I was going to do it without lifting a finger.

**Levi Pierce**

I received my visitors traditionally after the reaping. I honestly saw this coming. My name was in there nearly fifty times. I was always the one in my family to take the brunt of things. I was always the one who applied for the tesserae when needed. I was always the one who did the backbreaking work, but it seemed that no matter what I did, I could never win the approval of my family. I had five other brothers and sisters who were all older than me. They looked down on me as if I was some kind of vermin that shouldn't be there. Even my father didn't acknowledge my presence. It was because of the fact that my birth killed my mother. My father and siblings loved her. She was the light in the family. Whenever something bad happened, she was always there to make it okay, but because of me, she's gone and my family hates me for it. I became the black sheep of the family when the fact that I was gay got out. They didn't even hate me anymore, they ignored me. We didn't even talk anymore. I wasn't surprised when no one came to visit me. I didn't have many friends because of my sexuality and those who were civil to me stayed away in fear that they would be labeled an outcast as well.

In my hand, I turned over my mother's wedding band. It was the last reminiscent I had of her. I never got to meet my mother, but I knew deep in my heart, that she loved me and she would be proud. The wedding band is the only thing I have to remember her by. I slipped the ring on my pinky finger as a peacekeeper came to fetch me. I stood up and followed him with my head raised high. I was going to win to prove to my family that I'm not just a waste of space. I was worth so much more.

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	5. District Eight: Ivy Allende

**District Eight**

**Ivy Allende**

Talk to Jeremy, teach ballet lessons, work at the dress factory, practice ballet, care for Shell. Talk to Jeremy, teach ballet lessons, work at the dress factory, practice ballet, care for Shell. It was the same busy routine day in and day out, but not today. At the moment, I was preparing to go to the reaping.

I wore a simple black dress and shoes. My burgundy hair was neatly combed and flowed down my back. Shell watched me as I prepared to go to the reaping. Shell was a six-year-old girl that my best friend Jeremy and I found on the streets. We took her into the community home where we lived with all the rest of the orphans and abandoned children. The community home wasn't a good place to live though. It was full of violence and poverty. I had to work at the dress factory making capitol dresses and give lessons to some of the merchant's daughters to be able to afford to give Shell a proper meal. Decent meals came around once in a blue moon at the community home.

"Ivy, I'm scared." Shell whimpered as I fixed my dress.

"It'll be alright. It's Jeremy's last year and I only have one more year to go," I assured her.

I met with Jeremy at the community home's roof after dropping Shell off with the community home warden who taught me ballet. Jeremy was dressed in slacks and a polo, both being hand me downs. I met Jeremy when I first came to the community home. My mother was a seam woman while my father was a peacekeeper in District 12. After my mother died having me, my father took me to District 8 with him where he was transferred. When I was six, my father was executed right in front of me for being part of a conspiracy to overthrow the capitol. I think that's where my hatred for the capitol began. It was at the community home where I met Jeremy. We shared a mutual hatred for the capitol and the repression they gave us. We usually met every morning before the day started on the roof of the community building to vent out our frustrations against the capitol, away from the peacekeeper's ears.

"You ready for this?" Jeremy asked, leaning against the railing.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I murmured breathlessly, looking out in the distanced. The district just started to wake as the sun rose higher in the east.

"I can't wait until after the reaping. It'll be a huge weight off my shoulders. Just you wait. I'll save enough money so I can buy a small house or apartment and I'll take you and Shell with me. Shell shouldn't have to be raised in a dump like this and neither should you," Jeremy ranted. "And maybe you can own your own ballet studio like you've always dreamed of. You're the best you know."

"Thanks Jeremy... The sooner we get out of here, the better. I want to get Shell out of here as fast as we can..." My sentance was interupted by a scream down the road. We could see a peacekeeper beating a man until he had fallen. He then continued to kick him until he got bored and left.

"See, this is what I mean! The mindless violence, the hatred, and the repression. I hate it. That man was innocent and was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I can't take it anymore!" Jeremy shouted, kicking an empty can off the building.

"It's things like this that make me sick. This whole society is wrong. I just want to escape it all." I replied, hoping that the man was okay.

"We will one day. I promise."

It soon came time to when we had to report to the town square for the reaping. One could easily find their way to town square just by following the groups of children filtering there. The Hunger Games were sick and wrong. I've always detested them and felt pity for those selected to go. Twenty-three lives wasted every year.

I was split from Jeremy once we arrived and I silently hoped that his name wasn't called. The reaping went smoothly at first. The capitol representative came on stage and did the usual speech. I didn't listen though. I was too busy drowning in my anxiety. Finally, the capitol lady was about to do the drawing.

"So for the ladies…" the crazily dressed lady announced as she plucked a name from the top of the pile. I held my breath as she waited for a dramatic pause. "Ivy Allende!"

In that moment, I felt as if the wind was knocked out of me. Everything became so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat in my ears. The many girls shifting away from me pulled me out of my stupor and I forced my buckling knees to take a step forward. It seemed like an eternity before I made it to the stage.

"Ah, you must be the lucky girl! And now for the boys..."

I searched the crowd for Jeremy desperately, not even listening to the rest of the reaping. I finally found him in the sea of boys and he was staring right at me with so much worry and frustration. My mind immediately jumped to Shell. Oh god, Shell. What will happen to her?

Jeremy was the first visitor I recieved. Before either of us could say anything, he embraced me in a tight hug.

"Ivy I'm so sorry. So, so sorry."

"Jeremy, none of this is your fault!" I objected, pulling away from him.

"It's the capitol again! They took your father and now they're taking you."

"Jeremy don't..."

"I'm angry at the capitol, but most of all, I'm angry at myself," he cut me off. "I'm so frustrated because they're taking you away and I can't do anything about it. I just feel so... weak and useless. I..."

I hugged him tightly and he didn't finish his sentance. "What's done is done and there's nothing _anyone _can do about it. It'll be fine, okay?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "We need to strategize. I don't have much time left. Your light, flexible, and fast. Use that to your advantage. Once you get there, learn as much as you can. Try a bit of everything to see where your strengths are. Try out every weapon so you can grab what you need from the cornecopia and go." The peacekeepers came in and began pulling him out. "And try to make allies and win people over and..." he was cut off as the door slammed shut.

Next, the community home warden dropped Shell off at the door. When she saw me, she burst into tears. "You said it would b-be okay!" she wailed as I hurried to calm her down.

"It will, it will, Shell! It's alright, everything will be okay."

"No it won't! Y-you're going away f-forever. That's w-what happens to all the k-kids who go to the c-capitol," she hiccuped.

"Yes, but I'm going to come back. Don't worry, you'll see me in a few weeks, okay? I'm going to win."

"Y-you promise?" she asked, looking up with glassy blue eyes.

"Yes, I promise."

Shell stepped away from me and started to fidget with something around her neck. "I want you to have this." She gave me the necklace that was around her neck. There was a piece of coral dangling from the braided string. "Kids who leave always take something with them. I want you to take this."

I allowed a tear to slide down my cheek as I put the necklace on. "How do I look?"

"Pretty!" She beamed. "Now you'll have something to always remember me." She gushed.

"Yes. Yes I will. Now, I want you to be a good girl while I'm gone. Can you do that for me?" I asked as more tears leaked down my face.

She nodded fiercly. "I'll take baths and brush my teeth every day."

"And..." I said expectantly.

Shell gave out a long dramatic sigh. "I'll eat my vegetables too."

"That's my girl."

I gave her one last hug before she was taken away. As the door closed, I got up and dried my tears. They weren't going to help me. I was going to win. I needed to win. For Jeremy, Shell, my mother, my father, my freedom, and myself.


	6. District Twelve: Arya and Rhu

**District 12**

**Arya Nightshade**

The sun had set a while ago, but its orange rays still bled through the sky. This was the perfect time for animals to come out. I quietly stalked through the forest, observing my surroundings. I heard something shift to my right and I acted immediately. I released an arrow and the animal ceased its movement. Clambering over the shrubbery, I spotted my arrow lodged in a dead rabbit. I dislodged my arrow from the carcass and carried the body to the rest of my stuff. After a long night's work, I caught five rabbits and one pheasant. This was good. Leo needs plenty of meat.

I returned to the district, my winnings hidden in my bag so that the peacekeepers wouldn't catch me. I knew I was safe once I got to the Hob. I quickly traded four of the rabbits to him for some money before heading home. I knew my father would be worried about me if I were out too late. He always worried about me.

I started hunting a while after the death of my mother. I didn't notice it at the time, but she was starving herself so that my brother, Leo, and I could survive. We were poor and barely made it through the day. One day, she didn't get up from bed. She died of starvation. After her death, father had to take longer shifts at the mine and he could barely keep us alive through the week. I had gone days without eating anything because I usually gave my food to Leo. Leo had always been a sickly child from the get go and his medicine was so costly. Though I was on the brink of starvation, I refused to beg on the streets. I would rather die than beg like a common dog and don't even mention selling myself to those peacekeepers. Many seam girls did that to keep themselves alive. It wasn't until I was thirteen that I built up my courage to enter the woods. My father eventually made me a bow to use, which was helpful. You can only catch so much with snares.

I arrived home it was nearly midnight. When I walked in, no one was in the kitchen like usual, which started to make me nervous. "Dad? Leo?" I called, setting the rabbit and pheasant on the counter.

I wandered the house before finally finding them in Leo's room. Dad was kneeling at his bed while Leo twisted in unusual shapes.

"Dad? What's wrong with Leo?" I whispered, slowly walking into the room.

"I don't know. I thought he was getting better, but when I came back from the mines, I found him on the floor and he had a high fever." I watched as Leo groaned in his sleep. Red blotches dotted his skin and he was sweating through the sheets. "We can't afford a doctor and the medicine isn't helping. I don't know how much longer until…" my father's voiced hitched and he couldn't pull himself to finish the sentence. He already lost my mother. He couldn't bear to lose his only son as well.

I couldn't watch as my father grasped Leo's hand for dear life. I turned and exited the room. Leo was dying right before our eyes and it was killing both my father and I from the inside. We can't bear to lose another family member. Not again. Father was a wreck after my mother's death. He will surely lose himself if he loses Leo too. I can't just sit here and watch as my brother slowly withers away. The reaping was tomorrow and I was going to volunteer.

**Rhu Glabra**

The dim florescent dangled above the cage I stood in. I could feel the sweat trickle down my bare chest and onto the floor. My opponent, a six foot-six ripped giant, stood before me. I bounced my weight from one foot to the other as I waited for him to make his next move. He swung at me, but I ducked and sent a blow to his abdomen. I spun around and kicked him straight in the chest before he could recover, sending him stumbling into the wall of the cage. Now angered, he charged at me with a battle cry, but I quickly sidestepped him. He attempted several swings at me, but I easily dodged each one of them. Once he was off balanced, I sent quick, powerful blows to his many of his pressure points. In a matter of seconds, he went down. I took that opportunity and put him in a chokehold.

"One! Two! Three!"

The bell went off and I dropped the man instantly. I shook my head and sweat droplets went flying off of my golden curls that were now matted to my face. That was my tenth match tonight and I was ready to leave. I exited the cage and went to collect my cash. I easily made hundreds or thousands every time I went in to fight. After collecting my share, I turned and made my way to the locker room.

I had showered, changed, and was ready to leave when I man entered the room. "That was quite a performance tonight, lad. Ten matches in a row without a loss," he let out a low whistle.

"Cut the crap," I retorted seriously. "I want my information." His smile dropped and he passed me a folded piece of paper. I tucked it in my pocket and exited the room.

My life had gone pretty smoothly for years. I was born into a wealthy family, well for a District Twelve family, that is. My life was quiet and normal until I turned twelve. It was storming that night and me and my twin brother, Llex were up because of the weather. I vividly remember my mother's scream pierce through the thunder as Llex and I ran to our parents' room. There in the doorway of their room stood a man wearing a half-mask. The man had a gun pointed at our parents who were kneeling on the ground, shaking. He regarded us with his cold, gray eyes before he shot them and ended their lives. He then turned the gun to us. He shot me first. The bullet pierced through my skull and entered straight through my brain. He shot Llex next. I woke up from a comma a week later. They say it was a miracle I didn't die. The bullet was merely a centimeter from crossing through the dividing line of my brain, which would have ended my life. Llex had been shot in the spinal chord. He was paralyzed from the hips down. After that, we discovered that the man had stolen thousands of dollars from our parents, ransacked the house, and burned it to the ground. Our neighbors were able to pull all of our bodies out of the house, but it was too late. Our parents were dead. We knew that what little money we inherited from them wouldn't last us long so I had to take up a job since Llex couldn't. I joined the underground cage fighting at a young age. I learned from the best and took my fair share of beatings. Now I was the best. Llex didn't know though. He thought I worked at a tavern at night.

Now, the cut I received across my arm during one of my fights started to throb. I learned how to use weapons because in some of the matches, they will allow you to use a blade of your choosing. My fifth match, I became careless and allowed a man to cut my arm and it was deep. I crawled under the wire fence leading to the black wilderness. Pulling out a flashlight, I searched for a certain plant. Finally, I spotted a bush of self-heal. Picking part of the aerial leaves, I bit into and applied them to the cut. After bandaging it, I made my way home.

Llex was already sleeping when I arrived. He looked almost identical to me, but he had our father's brown eyes while I had our mother's blue ones. He also didn't have the muscular build I had from fighting for years. Instead, he was thin and lean with softer facial features.

I waited until I was in the safety of my room to open the note. For years, I have been searching for the man who killed my parents. I later learned that the reason he killed them was because they were part of a secret organization to overthrow the capitol. The rest of the people who took part in it were executed as well. Finding this man became an obsession for me and I wouldn't stop until he was dead.

The man you are looking for is a man named Seneca Crane. He resides in the capitol and is the current game maker for the Hunger Games.

I burned the note just as the man's name was burned into my brain. I was going to volunteer for the Hunger Games.

* * *

"Oh… wow… Well it seems, everyone, that we have our first volunteers ever from District Twelve! What's your name, young lady?" Effie Trinket asked the female tribute beside me.

"Arya Nightshade." She stated firmly.

"And you?" she asked, shoving the microphone in my face.

"Rhu Glabra."

"And there you have it folks! Our two volunteers from District Twelve!"

I waited for Llex to roll into the room. He would be the only one coming to see me. Once he came in, he threw his shoe at me, which I dodged.

"Are you crazy? Why did you just volunteer?" he demanded. He was usually never so aggressive, but he could be scary when he was mad.

"Calm down, Llex. I'm going to find the man who killed our parents. He's the game maker for this year's Hunger Games."

Llex looked down at the floor with a sour look. "I'm not an idiot, Rhu. I know the man who killed our parents was from the capitol. Nobody around here besides the peacekeepers use guns and none of them was that man. I've known for a long time you've been trying to hunt down this man, but is it really worth it? Is it worth risking your life? You will surely die even if you were able to kill him. This is suicide."

"I know. I swore to myself, I would do whatever it takes to see that man's corpse at my feet."

He shook his head disappointedly. "You really are insane, Rhu. Do you think mom and dad would be proud of your decision?" he asked.

"Mom and dad are dead. Don't worry. I have almost a million dollars saved for you. You can live the rest of your life without lifting a finger."

"And you think that the capitol won't go after me?"

"That's why I had a friend pull some strings for me. Your new ID will be dropped off in a week."

Llex sighed and gave up trying to convince me out of my plan. "I assume you already have a token then?"

I pulled out the necklace I had under my shirt. On the end, a gold-tinted bullet dangled innocently. It was the bullet that almost killed me. "Revolver jacketed flat point bullet. Only manufactured within the capitol and distributed to those who can afford this vintage model."

Llex didn't say anything until it was time for him to go. We exchanged curt farewells before he left. This was probably the last time I was going to see him again. I just wish we hadn't left on such bitter terms.

**Arya Nightshade**

My dad entered the room alone. I wasn't expecting to see Leo before I left, which made my heart ache. Leo was too sick to get out of bed to go to the reaping so he was at home with the neighbors looking after him. The peacekeepers only waved it off because they assumed he was going to die soon anyways.

Father stood staring at me silently with searching eyes. I would have given anything to shrink away from his gaze. "Why?"

"Because I…"

"Why would you do this to me, Arya?" he demanded. "I lost your mother, I'm losing your brother, and now I'm going to lose you! A man can only take so much."

It broke my heart to see him lose his temper. He was usually so level headed. I can't blame him though; he has gone through many trials and lost so much. My father was indeed the strongest man I knew.

"I need to do this. We need the money. Leo will die if we can't come up with some cash immediately." My father tried to hold back his tears. "Dad, I _need _to do this. This is our only chance," I pleaded for him to understand.

In a heartbeat, he enveloped me in a strong embrace. "You are so brave Arya. You are so much like your mother, so selfless. The world needs more people like you and her. I believe in you, Arya. I love you and I want you to know that I am so proud of you."

I hugged him tighter. "I love you too, dad. I'll be back before you know it."

It wasn't long before a peacekeeper came to escort him out. This was it. Time for the Hunger Games.

* * *

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	7. Competition and Alliances

**Vanity Boswell**

Ugh, I can't believe our idiotic mentor, Shimmer, is making us watch the reapings. I didn't need to watch the reapings to win, but Magnus and Shimmer insisted on it. This was incredibly boring and time consuming.

The volunteer from District Two was attractive, but he looked way too serious. Whatever, I'll make a note to play him once we get there. He was probably one of those robots who trained for this since birth. It's a shame that such a pretty face will go to waste.

"He looks like he'll be tough to beat out," Magnus commented as they did a close up shot of him.

Shimmer nodded, her bubblegum pink locks bouncing. "Indeed. District Two usually has the obstacles. You should try make an alliance with him for sure."

"The girl looks weak though. She can't be older than fifteen," I remarked, studying the fragile little brunette who volunteered in her friend's place. "She'll die in the blood bath."

We continued watching. There was another hunk from District Four and Five I could sink my teeth in. When the girl from District Six appeared on the camera I was shocked. She looked like a boy.

"Ew… That's a _girl?" _I questioned in disbelief. "She could be mistaken for a boy. A very ugly boy."

"She doesn't even have proper hygiene," Magnus added. He was correct. It was as if there was a layer of dirt over her body.

"Careful you two, it's usually the street runts who turn out to be the dangerous ones," Shimmer warned ominously.

We watched as the District Seven tributes were named. The girl looked completely useless while the boy…

"He's gay," I deadpanned, earning curious looks from the other two.

"How can you tell?"

"I'm a people person and I've been around the block a few times. I just know."

"Well, what does his sexuality have to do with anything?" Magnus questioned.

"Nothing for you, but for me, it means I can't use him."

"The girl is quite attractive," Magnus observed.

"She's a little chubby and looks like she hasn't worked a day in her life." I retorted. No way was she more beautiful than me.

He rolled his eyes as we watched the District Eight reapings. The girl looked frightened out of her wits. I wouldn't consider her as a threat either. She was thin, slightly toned, and willowy. She won't survive.

I think we were all in for a surprise when we finally got to District Twelve. The year District Twelve has a volunteer, there happened to be two. The girl looked determined and fiery while the boy kept a stoic face. Maybe I can use him as well. He had a similar body structure as the boy from District Two and he had the face of an angel. Either way, I had to watch out for these two.

"The girl looks like she can be a challenge," Shimmer piped up. "She has this kind of presence about her that screams that she's going in to win."

"And so does the boy. He looks like he couldn't care less about the reapings."

"I'd keep an eye out for these two."

"Well if that's all, I'm going to take a nap in my compartment," I stated, gracefully standing up and leaving the room.

Now that I had my pawns, it was time to play the game.

* * *

**Noelle Tomas**

We all sat in our compartment watching the reapings for this year's tributes. We were nearing the end of District Eleven when I finally got my nerve up to ask.

"So Shade... maybe we could work toge..."

"No," he replied evenly, cutting me off. Our mentor, Brutus, looked like he agreed with him.

"Look, I know you think I'm weak, but I'm not," I retorted, quite offended he didn't even consider my offer.

"Even if you weren't weak, you're not up to my level, meaning that you will only bring me down." Shade didn't even look at me as we talked. His eyes were glued to the television where the District Twelve volunteers stood on the stage. He seemed to be searching for something.

"They look like they're going to be tough to beat out. Especially that Glabra boy. He looks like he's up to par with you. I'd also watch out for the kids from District One. They always have something up their sleeves," Brutus warned.

"I'd look out for the girl from District Six. It was hard to see, but Six had burn marks and whip wounds," I observed.

I only recieved a grunt from Shade. He was still intently studying the two kids from District Twelve, especially the girl...

* * *

**Kin Ochi**

I sat alone in my bedroom wanting so badly to light something on fire. My mentor, Pricilla (what an awful name), had already confirmed that at the games, I could burn who I want as much as I want. That gave me hope as I slowly began to plan each death. For once in my life, I felt... like I belonged. Like I wasn't a sadistic freak. I was _supposed _to hurt people and that's exactly what I intended to do.

* * *

**Levi Pierce**

"For the last time, I. Am. Gay," I stated irratatedly as Aria tried to seduce me. It was disgustingly revolting.

She pouted and crossed her arms in defeat. "Great. So that means I have to actually look for guys to take care of me."

I pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance. "We just watched the reapings. Don't you have any ideas?"

Aria looked thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, there's that guy from District One. The guys from District Two and Twelve are hunks, so maybe with enough persuasion, I can have them protect me."

"All you plan on doing before the ganes is flirt?" I asked incredulously.

"Yep. Pretty much." I groaned. How come my partner had to be a complete idiot with raging hormones? "Hey, maybe we could be allies. You know, since you seem to be smart enough to keep me alive."

I rolled my eyes before studying her. She was average height, skinny but out of shape-skinny, had short black hair, piercing green eyes, olive skin, a pretty face, but lacking in breasts. The girl from District One was at least two sizes bigger than her.

"Hey, if you keep on insisting you're gay, how come you're checking out my boobs?" she demanded, crossing her arms.

"I'm taking note that it will be hard to lure in boys if your boobs are so small," I replied bluntly. Her eyes flared in anger as I raised my hands in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. You know, I'll accept your offer if you can hold up your part."

"Um, you actually expect me to do work?" she asked as if I was insane.

I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose again. This was why I prefered guys... "No. Flirt with some strong guys, maybe even some girls if you go that way, and have them join our alliance."

"Oh okay. Sounds easy enough," Aria replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Great, so we have a deal then," I said offering my hand.

"Deal," she smirked shaking my hand.

* * *

**Ivy Allende**

I was curled on my bed, watching the passing sceanery as the train continued on. I had finished watching the reapings and quite honestly, I was intimidated. It was as if everyone in it was made to be fighters. I wasn't. I was a dancer. I never asked for this. Ugh, calm down, Ivy, you have to focus. Okay, I had to use my head and listen to Jeremy's advice. I had to broaden my knowledge and abilities over this next week training for the games. I also had to socialize with others and try to join an alliance. I could survive longer that way. I also had to eat as much as I could before hand. I was still fairly thin from being under fed at the community home.

I took a deep breath and turned back towards the window to see the approaching capitol. And so it begins...

* * *

**Arya Nightshade**

Rhu and I had already watched the reapings and we were sitting in the dining compartment angrily as our mentor snubbed us.

"So can you give us any advice?" Rhu asked, the anger in his voice was rising as Haymitch continued to treat us as kids.

"Yeah, you want advice? Stay alive," he spat as he reached for a bottle. Having none of it, I slammed down the knife I had in my hand on the table, barely missing his hand. He looked at me in surprise as he slowly pulled his hand away. "Oh, so do I have fighters this year?"

"Yeah, so time to sober up," I retorted.

"So let me ask before we get started," he said leaning in and looking us both in the eyes. "Are you two going to be allies? From what I saw during the reapings, you have some pretty tough competition this year, but you could easily beat out the competition if you work together."

Rhu and I exchanged looks and within that moment, there was a mutual understanding.

"Yes. We'll be allies."

* * *

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	8. First Impressions and Chariot Rides

"Wow, it looks like this year's Hunger Games will be interesting according to the reapings. I wonder what game maker, Seneca Crane, has in store for us this year," Caesar announced as the chariots were preparing to enter.

District One's chariot came out first. The male, Magnus Luxuria, clad only in gold spandex shorts, boots, laurels, and a cape, looked stunning, but it really was his female counterpart that stole the show. Vanity Boswell wore a gold bra, tight skirt, and boots with golden laurels in her hair like her partner. She was like a goddess and the capitol people adored her and eagerly returned her smiles and waves.

District Two was out next. Decked in Spartan armor, Shade Verin looked even more intimidating than he already did. His partner, Noelle Tomas, on the other hand, looked out of place. It was for that reason that the capitol pitied her and their hearts broke for her sacrifice.

District Three's tributes wore black bodysuits with lights wired into it. It was to represent their specialty in electronics. It was quite the wower for the crowd.

District Four's tributes were decked in fish netting, seaweed, scales and sequins to make them look like merpeople. The girl wasn't noteworthy, but the boy, Siren Reef, was the definition of an Adonis. The capitol girls swooned when he blew kisses and winked at them.

District Five was the first terrible costumed tributes. The tributes wore bulky light up suits that blinked every few seconds.

District Six followed closely. The male wore a conductor uniform while the girl tribute, Kin Ochi, wore a very short and revealing taxi driver dress. The cameras quickly zoomed off her as her scowl could be seen from a mile away. Any sane person could tell that she was absolutely livid.

District Seven's tributes were dressed as lumberjacks. Levi Pierce really did look like a lumberjack with his stocky build. Aria Garnet wore a tight jean skirt with suspenders over a red-checkered shirt that was tied under her breast. She, unlike Levi, was soaking up the limelight with delight and, just like Vanity, was a crowd favorite.

District Eight wore outfits made of patchwork cloths to represent the textile industry of their district. Ivy Allende smiled shyly and waved toward her audience. Anyone else wearing that outfit wouldn't have pulled it off like she did. The capitol found her shyness and anxiety cute and charming.

District Nine, Ten, and Eleven's outfits were the most horrible out of the whole set. Nine was dressed as grain stalks, Ten was dressed as cattle, and Eleven was dressed as fruits. They definitely weren't a crowd favorite.

District Twelve was decked in black attire with red, purple, and orange rhinestones on them, making it look like fire whenever they moved. The girl, Arya Nighshade, smiled proudly to her audience and a certain spark could be seen in her eye. The boy, Rhu Glabra, wore a smirk that did not reach his eyes, as he scanned the crowd. They too, became a crowd favorite along with District One, Two, Four, Seven, and Eight.

Now that the appearances were over, it was time for the games.

**Arya Nightshade**

We were out in a large room with the rest of the tributes after the chariot presentation. I could just kiss Cinna for not smearing our naked bodies in soot like last year's tributes.

"You two did great. You won over a lot of sponsors just by that performance…" Effie stated and continued rambling. I stopped listening when I noticed Rhu staring at something, or rather someone.

I followed his line of vision and saw him and the boy from District Two having a stare down. He broke their eye contact to glance at me for a few seconds before turning towards his mentor.

"Let's head up to our floor so we can talk privately," Haymitch broke in, noticing our interaction.

"What was that all about?" I whispered as Haymitch and Effie walked ahead of us. "You're not already making enemies are you?"

"Not me, but you better be watching your back. That kid was looking at you before I gave him the stare down."

"You don't think he's targeting me, do you?" I asked.

He scoffed. "No. He was…" he started, but stopped himself and chuckled. "You'll find out soon enough."

* * *

**Yeah, I know. Short and sweet. Reviews=Updates!**


	9. Training and Alliances

**Vanity Boswell**

The day after the chariot rides, all the tributes were flocked into the training room. It was fairly similar to the one we had back at District One so I had an advantage. Spying the knife station, I dragged Magnus with me to work on them. They were my specialty after all. As I threw each dagger perfectly into the center of each target, I scouted out the competition. I saw the male from District Two working alone at the knot tying station. The weird girl from District Six was trying desperately to get a fire going as if her life depended on it. That District Seven whore was already out flirting with the boys, her partner close behind. He was obviously the brains of the group. District Twelve was out trying their hand at archery… and they were good.

"Hey, my name's Siren," I heard a nonchalant voice say behind me.

I turned around to see the blonde hair and blue-eyed boy from District Two standing behind me. He was fairly tall, lean, and muscular and ripe for the picking.

"Vanity," I replied, giving a slow, seductive smile. Magnus stayed silently behind me and let me do the talking.

"Would you be interested in forming an alliance? If we careers stick together, we'll easily beat out the rest of the competition," he offered, closing the distance between us.

I looked around the room for his partner. Across the room was a frail, bony girl with limp blonde hair and glasses failing to identify which plants were poisonous. So she was weak and stupid.

"And your partner?" I questioned, raising a perfect brow.

"She's not included in the package."

I smirked at this. "Then you're in," I stated and held out my hand. We shook hands and then I introduced him to Magnus. "This is my cousin, Magnus."

"Siren. District Two," he stated, shaking his hand.

"Welcome to the group. Now let's see if we can get that boulder of a man from District Two the join."

"I already tried. He stubbornly refused," Siren replied sourly.

"What about the guy from District Twelve?" I suggested, eyeing him.

"We'll try to recruit him later," Magnus stated. "For now, let's stake out the competition."

**Noelle Tomas**

I silently studied which plants were poisonous and which were not. Being from a District that was completely modernized, I didn't have access to this information like many of the other districts. Right now, I worried about alliances. As the minutes passed, alliances were slowly being made between the districts. The careers had already moved, but hadn't included me or the girl from Four in it. They tried to get Shade to join, but he immediately turned them down. At least I wasn't the only one that received the cold shoulder. Right now, I had to absorb knowledge as fast as I could and try to form an alliance at the same time. This was going to be complicated…

**Aria Garnet**

The boy from Eleven named Zane pressed me up against the wall of the bathroom and kissed me heatedly. He was no Hatch, but when life gives you lemons, right?

"So you in?" I breathed as he continued to kiss and touch me.

"Babe, I'm just getting started," he replied and giving me a wink.

"You know what I mean."

"Sure, sure Princess. Don't worry about it," he assured as he continued to kiss his way downwards.

Ugh, at least he was hot.

**Arya Nightshade**

I irritably swung my sword at Rhu as he effortlessly dodged. It aggravated me that he maintained a stoic expression as if he was bored by our spar.

"You're not even trying!" I accused, stopping to take a breather.

"Of course not. _You're_ not even trying. You're just waving your sword as if I will magically jump in front of it," I retorted, his eye twitching.

"I am not!"

"Yes you are. It's all about technique and timing. What you're doing is nothing close to technique and timing." I just grunted in frustration and threw my sword on the ground. "Go get a drink," he instructed, as he twirled his blade effortlessly.

"With pleasure," I muttered sarcastically as I stormed out of the room. I know I was being hotheaded as usual, but he didn't have to be so condescending.

I turned the corner and collided with something solid and hard. The next thing I saw was a pair of golden orbs before I started to fall backwards. I waited for the impact of the ground, but it never came. Instead I felt a strong arm wrap around my waist and pull me upright.

"You okay?" a deep voice asked.

I looked up to see the boy from District Two. He was nearly a head taller than me and had a mess of black hair that almost obscured his golden eyes.

"Yeah, I'm good. Sorry about that."

"It's no problem. I'm Shade by the way," he said, offering out his hand.

"Arya," I replied, shaking his hand. I started off on my way when I heard him call out.

"Hey, would you be interested in making an alliance with me?"

His words shocked me and my jaw noticeably dropped. He turned down the careers but was asking me to join our alliance?

"I don't know…"

"We can always try it out and if there's a problem, I'll leave without an argument," he offered.

I was going to turn him down, but he seemed sincere and he wasn't the big dumb brute I thought him to be.

"Well… okay, but only if my partner agrees with it."

He cracked a rare smile. "Deal."

**Rhu Glabra**

I wandered throughout the room looking for another station to work out. A lot of them were pointless since I already knew how to do a lot of them. I settled for the knife throwing station. It came easily for me after a few test trials. I threw them absentmindedly as I waited for Arya to return. You'd think she was taking a dump.

I heard a soft thud a few feet away from me. A few targets down, a redheaded girl threw her daggers at the target, all of the missing the center. She was a skinny girl, but she had something about her. I knew a fighter when I saw one.

I twirled a knife in my hand and wandered over to her. I could tell she was getting frustrated with herself for not getting it right.

"Here, aim a little bit above the center and keep your form fluid and sharp," I stated, adjusting her arm.

She hesitated at first but she threw it, hitting the center dead on. Her face lit up instantly and she turned to face me. I could see a bit of surprise on her face as she wasn't expecting to see me.

"Thanks. I'm Ivy by the way."

"Rhu. I saw you get reaped for the games. Your family must be devastated," I replied solemnly.

She shrugged. "I'm an orphan."

I was taken back by that. I was used to everyone having a family, I didn't realize there could be people like me. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. My parents were killed so I'm an orphan as well, though I have a brother.

"No it's fine. I have a few friends at the community home that are like family to me. My mother died having me and my father was executed for having been a part of a rebellion between the Districts." I tensed at this, but didn't reply. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you volunteer for the games? District Twelve never has volunteers."

I turned my head as I saw Arya and the boy from District Two walk in together. "To find the man that killed our parents," I murmured.

"Excuse me?" she asked, not quite hearing me.

I shook my head. "It's nothing. Hey, I have to go, but if you're interested in joining us or if you're ever needing help during the games, just find me." A look of uncertainty crossed her face. I placed a hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eye. "You have my word," I assured her before going to see what the hell Arya dragged in.

* * *

**Sup yos**


	10. Enemies and Backstabbing

**Rhu Glabra**

"I want him to join our group," Arya stated nonchalantly with the District Two boy, Shade, beside her.

"Excuse me?" I questioned, narrowing my eyes and examining him with a careful eye. He kept a stoic face, but shifted his weight from foot to foot occasionally.

"I said I want him to join our group. We'll survive longer if we have more allies."

"More people also means more people to look after."

"Does he look like someone who will need taking care of? Look, I'm not forcing you to agree. If you feel threatened, then by all means, you can say no," she baited innocently. I knew what she was going at.

"This isn't some kind of challenge of whether or not I'm threatened or not. Arya, you can't just… ugh…You know what, fine! But one step out of line and you're out," I warned him before turning back to the swords.

**Shade Verin**

"Friendly…" I muttered so only Arya could hear once her partner Rhu turned back to the swords.

"You'll get used to him. He can be an ass at times, but he's not that bad of a guy."

"I can hear you," Rhu called before throwing me a sword. "Let's see what you've got."

I turned the familiar object in my hand and went into a defensive stance. He came at me first. I dodged him and sent a jab at his left flank. It was immediately met with his sword and I ducked as he made a swipe at me. Damn, he was fast. We exchanged sword blows until I instinctively sent a punch to his right cheekbone. He stumbled backwards, not expecting it, but only smirked.

"Mixed martial arts, huh? I think I'm starting to like you."

Before I knew it, I stumbled back and clutched my abdomen with my free hand. Rhu discarded his sword and fell into a defensive position, letting me make the next move. I threw my sword to the ground and threw a series of blows, all of which he dodged or blocked. He also tried to hit me, but I blocked or exchanged a blow. We didn't seem to notice that we spent the next half hour giving and receiving punches and kicks.

"Hey you two! Training session is over. Time for lunch," one of the peacekeepers called. Everyone had already left and Arya stood only a few feet away, smirking.

Catching our breath, Rhu and I exchanged a surprised look. His usual smirk broke out on his face and he clapped a hand on my shoulder.

"Glad to have you on the team, Shade."

I gave him one of my rare smiles before we headed off to lunch.

**Kin Ochi**

I sat alone during lunch, poking at my food. This was the most luxurious and the most amount of food I have ever had in one sitting. Damn Capitol. I finally got a fire going after an hour. It was a lot harder than it looked. The other tributes were already forming alliances. I noted how the careers were slowly forming, though they excluded the girls from District Two and Four from their group. The boy from District Two joined the team from District Twelve. It would be best not to run into them. The whore from District Seven was out collecting a harem. She even had the gall to leave training several times with a boy. I hated girls like District One and Seven the most; relying on their looks to get them through the games. Though District One seems to know what she's doing, Seven looks completely useless.

"You should probably eat something," I heard a voice say as a body scooted into the seat across from me. I looked up to see the boy from Seven looking at me with a crooked grin.

I rolled my eyes. "So why aren't you sitting with that prostitute of a partner of yours?"

He laughed lightly. "Correction, prostitutes require money. Aria is free." I couldn't help but crack a smile. At least he agreed with me. "My name's Levi by the way. Levi Pierce."

"Kin Ochi… So why did you decide to sit by the loner?"

"You interested me. I think I can pick out an outcast when I see one."

I flashed him a glare. "I don't think my life is any of your business."

"Hey, I wasn't trying to offend you," he said, raising his hands up in mock surrender. "I don't think anyone else noticed, but I could tell you have a special condition."

"Condition?" I repeated with a frown, daring him to go on.

"Most people would call it an obsession, but I suppose the correct term for it is pyromania." I opened my mouth, but he put his hand up to silence me. "You don't have to agree or disagree. I'm fairly observant and when I notice something, I'm always right. You know, we're a lot alike."

"Care to elaborate?" I asked, spooning a mouthful of food into my mouth.

"We're both outcasts in our districts, but here, we can be whoever we want without worrying about the consequences. They _want _us to be who we are."

"And what precisely are you, Levi Pierce?" I questioned.

"Most people identify me as being homosexual, but that always overshadowed what my main asset was. My brain."

"So what exactly are you here for?" I asked, cutting to the chase.

"Let's make an alliance," he offered, leaning in.

I snorted. "Are you kidding me? No way in hell would I team up with that bimbo."

"No, a secret alliance. I'll spend my training sessions with Aria and all the mindless brutes she hoards up, but in the arena, I'll ditch them and we'll work together. It'll give us some insight on how to take down her and her crew."

"Backstabbing the bitch herself? I like that idea. So what do I have to do?"

"I'll think of a plan on how to meet up, but until then, spend your training sessions trying your hand in everything. The broader your knowledge, the better."

"Alright Levi. You've got yourself a deal."

He nodded before heading back to that slut and I turned back to my meal with a grin on my face. I can't wait to burn that slut.

**Vanity Boswell**

I paced around the room of our living quarters. Shimmer was out doing god knows what while Magnus lounged on the sofa, observing me.

"I knew we should have recruited District Twelve sooner," I stated. "Now, their alliance is up to par with ours!"

"Vanity, calm down…"

"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!" I screamed, hurtling a vase at him, which he dodged. It shattered against the wall behind him, leaving an indent. "That little skank from Twelve must've screwed District Two to get him to join. How could he turn us down but join them? I'll kill that bitch I swear it!"

Magnus coolly walked over to me and put both his hands on my shoulders to stop me from pacing. "You need to breathe. Seriously, they have one experienced fighter and the District Twelve kids are just Seam trash. They'll probably die in the bloodbath."

"That's not true," I muttered darkly. "Everyone saw how District Two and Twelve were sparring during training today. They make a formidable team." I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. God these headaches… This was too much to stress over three days before the games. I still had to conjure up some sappy lines to say for the interview and I had to calculate what surprise the arena will have in store. Damn it! "I need to think up a plan…"

"And what about District Seven?"

"If that slut survives the bloodbath, I want to kill her myself. Her and Twelve are mine."

* * *

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look interesting.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered**

**And please bare with me. Surprisingly enough, I do have a life outside of updating!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	11. Strategies and Catfights

**Aria Garnet**

The second day of training was quite eventful. The alliances were firmly set and in motion. The careers consisted of District One and the boy from District Four. The other notable alliance was District Twelve and the boy from Two. Then there was me, Levi, Zane from Eleven, and Ren from Nine. Both were hunks and tough so if Levi ever died on me, I'd be set.

It was the end of the day and we were forced to mingle with each other at the buffet in the ballroom. Our mentors stood in their own little corner, forcing themselves to talk to one another much like us. For the most part, we stayed in our own alliances. Thirty minutes into the dinner, I saw the careers heading our way. I almost threw up as the blonde sex toy from One swayed her hips seductively as she made her way over.

"What do you want?" I hissed, particularly to the girl.

"We thought we'd just drop in and say hi," she replied smoothly, fluttering her eyes at my boy toys. What infuriated me was that they couldn't take their eyes off of her, particularly her larger-than-life breasts. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Vanity. This is my cousin Magnus and our new friend Siren." They gave brief hellos and they seemed to overlook my appearance. I was not about to be overshadowed by this slut.

"Really?" I played along, openly admiring Magnus and Siren. They were easy on the eyes. "I'm Aria. This is Levi, Zane, and Ren. I'm sure we'll get along just fine," I purred, directing the last sentence towards Siren.

He merely nodded, seemingly oblivious to my flirting. I gripped the glass of punch tightly in anger.

"So Zane, I saw you lifting those weights during training earlier. You're very strong," Vanity said coyly, twirling one of her stupid curls.

The dimwit actually soaked up the compliment. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself. You seemed very skilled at knives."

"I'm also very experienced in other things too," she led on.

"I bet you are," I clipped, tight-jawed. God, when I needed Levi to say something smart, he decides to stay silent.

Vanity merely smirked. "And Ren, I saw you wrestling with that boy from Three. That was amazing how you pinned him on his back in seconds. Maybe you can teach me a few moves?"

"S-sure! Tomorrow sound good?" Ren stuttered, blushing a deep red.

"I'm looking forward to it." She winked at him for good measure.

"So are you guys nervous for the games?" Magnus pitched in.

"Me? Never. The question is, are you nervous?" I hummed, brushing my hand up his leg secretively. My anger boiled as he shied away from my touch.

"No," he replied curtly.

"Well you know what they say, Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!" Zane stated in the worst Capitol accent I've ever heard.

Vanity laughed as if that was the funniest thing she's ever heard. "God, you guys are hilarious. It's a shame you couldn't have joined our group. We would've been a great team!"

She dropped the bomb. Both Ren and Zane laughed and I could no longer read if they were siding with me or her. I clutched my drink in my hand and stumbled forward, with the intent to spill it on her. She easily sidestepped it as if knowing I would do it and it splashed all over the girl-boy from District Six who was passing by. It was a nice substitute I suppose. I could help but giggle at the accidental spectacle.

Six stood there for a moment, drenched in sticky punch, before sending a heated glare directly at me. In an instant, she tackled me to the ground and tried to pummel me.

"You stupid slutty bitch!" she shrieked as we wrestled for dominance.

"Get off me you freak!" I screamed as she clawed and pulled my hair.

Ren, Zane, and her mentor tried to separate us while everyone else stood there and watched. I was steaming as I caught a glimpse of Vanity's triumphant smirk. They were finally able to pry the ugly little thing off of me, but by then, my sleeve was ripped, I had a cut across my cheek, and I looked like a hot mess. Dinner ended after that incident.

**Shade Verin**

"I think we'll have a good shot at getting to the cornucopia first," I stated to Arya and Rhu as we huddled together with drinks in our hands.

"Are you nuts?" Arya questioned incredulously. "That'll be suicide."

"I think he's right. All three of us have to be some of the fastest ones out of all twenty-four tributes. We have a pretty decent chance to get there first. Arya and I will grab a few knives or a bow and shoot down people as they come to the cornucopia. You can grab three backpacks and fill them with necessities and weapons of our choosing and then we can get out of there," Rhu pitched in.

"That's insane… but brilliant. Okay, I'm in," Arya finally agreed after mulling it over.

"We'll have the two bows you two snag and we can always make new arrows if you run out. I'll snag some knives and two swords for Rhu and I as well."

"I wonder what the game maker has in store for us," Arya stated. I noticed how Rhu visibly stiffened and wondered if he was nervous.

"I don't know, but we're going to have to be quick on our feet and ready for anything they throw at us," I replied.

"YOU STUPID SLUTTY BITCH!" I heard someone shriek from across the room.

We all turned to see the girls from Six and Seven clawing and strangling each other on the floor. From the looks of it, Seven spilled her drink on Six considering Six was drenched. After a few more colorful words, two other tributes and a mentor were able to separate the two. Six's mentor literally had to drag her out of the room to keep her from attacking the other girl. Six left kicking and screaming profanities at the disheveled girl glaring daggers back at her. Dinner ended abruptly after that.

**Vanity Boswell**

Once we were in the secrecy of the elevator, Magnus, Siren, and I burst into laughter. This was the most fun I had so far.

"That went a lot better than I thought!" Magnus gasped between his deep chuckles.

"Did you see her face? She was redder than a tomato," Siren barked, clutching his abdomen and using the wall for support. "And her spilling punch all over District Six? That was too good! Damn, Vanity, you're pure evil!"

"Now she has Six as a definite enemy in the arena," I added with a sly smile. "I think I can get those cronies of hers to turn on her. I'll be having a heated wrestling session with Nine tomorrow," I said, satisfied with my work. My plan to break down their team was easier than anticipated. Now all I had to worry about was District Twelve and Two...

**Noelle Tomas**

Well dinner was quite eventful. It was quite entertaining, none of the less. These girls will surely be at each other's throats in the arena. Good, less people for me to worry about. I stretched out on the couch as Shade stared absentmindedly at the night sky. He seemed to be in the best mood I had ever seen him in. I wonder why?

* * *

**Trying to give each tribute a fair amount of face time. Bare with me!**

**I've been bored as of late so I've been updating like mad, but don't get too used to it o.O**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look interesting.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	12. Nightmares and Insight

**Arya Nightshade**

_I struggled through the darkness as the water level rose higher and higher. I clawed vainly at the barrier above me until I was completely submerged in water…_

I woke up with a start, finding myself smothered in my sheets. I untangled myself from my cocoon and ran my hand through my mess of chocolate brown and blonde locks. Checking the time, I realized it was only two in the morning. Giving out an exasperated sigh, I fell against the lush pillows and sheets, unable to sleep. Finally, after a few minutes of internal conflict, I tiptoed through the living room and out of our quarters. I found myself making my way to the roof to get some air. I was not expecting to see a familiar mess of black hair already there.

"Hey," I greeted, leaning against the railing beside him. "Couldn't sleep?"

Shade tore his gaze from the sky to look at me. "Nightmares."

"Same," I sighed. "So what's so interesting about the sky?" I asked, gazing up at the night sky.

"The stars always fascinated me. I didn't have much of a childhood. My parents trained me to volunteer for the games before I could talk. The only time I could really escape that was to study the stars at night." He broke out into a crooked grin as he pointed at the stars and traced shapes. "That string of stars represent Draco and that one Scorpius. That bunch is Ophiuchus and Serpens."

"Do you know all the constellations?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No. I looked for them through an old book. Those were the ancient constellations. I'm sure there are new ones now."

I adjusted myself so that I was sitting on the railing now. The city, no matter how shallow their people were, was beautiful with its colorful lights and liveliness. I was about to say something when I heard the door open. Rhu stood there, taking in the scene slowly.

"And here I thought I was being original," he muttered as he joined us.

"Couldn't sleep?" Shade offered.

"Nightmares." We all nodded knowingly. Rhu moved so that he was leaning with his back against the railing along with us.

"So you said you were raised to volunteer… Tell me more about your childhood," I said to Shade, continuing our conversation.

He took to lying on the ground to look at the stars before answering. "I came from a fairly wealthy family and was raised by ambitious parents. They trained me to win these games. I would spend days training nonstop until I perfected my technique. My parents hired peacekeepers and former victors to come and personally train me. I learned from a very early age that it was in the best interests of my parents and me if I became what they wanted me to be; a victor."

"Then what drives you to win?" I asked, leaning in.

His golden orbs met mine before flickering away. "I don't know anymore. Ever since I arrived here, I've been questioning my previous purpose. I wanted to win because that's what was expected of me and I wanted to make my parents proud. Now… I'm not sure what I want anymore."

"And why did you volunteer, Arya?" Rhu questioned, crossing his arms. He was the darkest person I had ever met, yet he looked like an angel with his soft gold curls and the moon illuminating his face. He was a nice guy, but sometimes, it unnerved me how contemptuous he could be. "I've always been curious about that."

I took a breath before releasing the truth. "I'm a Seam girl. My parents have always been poor and we were always struggling to survive. When I was just a girl, my mother died. I didn't know until later that it was because she gave up her food to us so that we could stay alive. She died of starvation." I felt hot tears prickle in my eyes, but I fought them back. "My father started taking longer shifts in the mines to support us, but that also meant he was gone most of the time, so I took care my little brother Leo. With me hunting in the forests, we were doing fairly well, but recently, Leo's health took a turn for the worst. That's why I volunteered. I wanted to be able to return with the money for the treatments he needs to survive."

"I'm sorry about your mother," Shade said, locking his eyes on mine. "It must've been hard for you."

"It was, but that was years ago. I have to stay strong for my family. I have to live for my family. If I don't make it back, my father will lose both me and Leo. I don't know if he could handle it." My thoughts lingered on home and father and Leo before I snapped my attention to Rhu who was lost in his thoughts. "And what about you? Why did you volunteer?"

Rhu's eyes snapped from me to Shade before he closed them. "My reasons for volunteering are very different from the both of yours. My mother and father were murdered before my eyes. My brother was paralyzed and I barely survived the incident. From then on, I made it my life's goal to track down and kill the man who murdered my parents. Right before the reaping, I received the information I sought from one of my sources. The man who killed my parents' name is Seneca Crane, the game maker for the games we will be participating in. I didn't come here to claim glory or the prize. I didn't come here to win. I came here with one purpose and one purpose only; to kill that man."

Both Shade and I stared at him silently, not knowing what to say. I didn't know him before the games and I never heard anything about the murder. It would make sense if it was a Capitol assassination and they quickly hushed it up. No wonder he was such a dark character.

"Going after him will be suicide," Shade finally stated. "They will shoot you on the spot and they will seek out all your love ones and kill them."

"I know. I was well aware of the fact I will die here in the Capitol and I'm not yet sure how to go about it yet, but I have made arrangements back at home. I've made a fortune with underground fighting. I gave it all to my twin brother and he has my instructions to live under a new identity and my connections will destroy all records of Llex Glabra."

I stared at him for a moment before finally stretching. "Well I'm going to try to sleep again. It'll be a long day with scoring tonight," I stated, heading for the door. "Rhu, you coming?"

"Actually, I want to have a word with you, if that's okay," Shade said, stopping Rhu.

I simply shrugged and made my way to our floor. We all had our differences, but we made a great team. It's if we survive to be the final three that worries me.

**Rhu Glabra**

Arya exited, leaving Shade and I on the roof alone.

"Yeah?"

He stayed silent for a moment, trying to find the best way to express his thoughts. "I want… I want Arya to win."

I quirked an eyebrow at his declaration. I knew he had a thing for her before he even joined the alliance, but to take it this far… "Because of your affections for her," I stated more than questioned. He nodded. His thoughts seemed to be conflicting. "And what do you want me to do about it?"

"When we're in the arena, we're both going to protect her until she is the victor. You shouldn't have a problem with this considering your reason of being here is because of a suicide mission."

I shrugged. "It's not me I'm worried about, it's you. I just hope you're well aware of the fact that you're throwing your life away for some girl you've just met."

"Arya isn't just _some girl _and I don't think you're in place to judge me. I'm throwing mine away to save a life. You're throwing yours away to end one," he retorted, narrowing his eyes.

"Touché," I muttered darkly. "Fine, whatever. I'll play along." I started heading for the door, when he called out again.

"Thanks Rhu."

I stopped before grabbing the handle. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for her. She's the only one of us with pure intentions here," I stated, before leaving him on the roof.

**Kin Ochi**

I spent yesterday doing exactly as Levi said. I tried out every station and found out I was decent at snares and hand knives, and I became excellent at starting fires now. What didn't settle with me was my little brawl with Seven after she soaked me with punch. If I had a working lighter on me, I would have burned that little smirk right off of her face. I don't care if District One has beef with her. She's my kill.

**Levi Pierce**

I could hear the door of our quarters open and close and a rustle of feet and stifled laughter from outside. I then proceeded to hear the bedsprings of Aria's room squeal. Groaning, I got up and stepped outside to get some air. God, I felt like the only person who showed some brains in this competition was Vanity. She was obviously breaking apart our team and pissing Aria off yesterday and was successful. If I had been completely loyal to them, I would have tried my wit, but it was quite entertaining to see Aria get her ass handed to her. I took a breath of air to clear my mind. I was quite reluctant for the games to end, honestly. I could be me and nobody had a problem with that. To think that the games start in two days…

**Noelle Tomas**

I heard Shade come back earlier this morning. I could bet he was out seeing that District Twelve girl. Anyone could tell he has eyes for her… well maybe except the girl herself. I finally decided to get up and prepare for my last day of training. I purposely didn't do much during training previously besides plants and knots. I wanted to have the element of surprise going into the games. So far it was working and they were underestimating me. What a surprise they'll have.

**Ivy Allende**

Braided my hair in front of the mirror while my mind was off in other places. I silently pondered Rhu's offer during our first day of training. Was he trustworthy or was he just trying to manipulate me? He seemed sincere, but when I observe him from afar, he's dark and brooding. I finally looked at myself in the mirror and sighed. I had dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep. I had a nightmare about Jeremy and Shell dying before my eyes and I couldn't sleep after that. I took a deep breath and made my decision. I wasn't going to take him up on his offer. I'm going in alone and I'm coming out alone. It was too risky to trust people, especially now of all times.

**Siren Reef**

I leaned against the railing of my balcony as I ate a mango for breakfast. We didn't have these in District Four, so I was reveling in the opportunity. I was lucky I was able to join the careers so quickly. I made it quite clear to Serena, my district partner, that I wasn't interested in an alliance from the beginning. I never actually met her, but I knew of her back at home. She went to my school and was always the loner. She had limp hair that kind of resembled seaweed, was sickly pale, and had cracked hand-me-down glasses. Serena was the kind of kid in school who was bullied and thrown into the dumpster. She wasn't particularly smart or talented in any way shape or form so I knew she was going to be a thorn in my side. When I first approached District One, I wasn't expecting to meet a girl like Vanity. I assumed she would be one of those pageant queens District One puts up for slaughter every year. Instead, I confronted a real queen. Unlike those pretty girls, Vanity was insanely smart, strong, and the definition of true beauty. Magnus wasn't anything special, but Vanity was admirable. She was definitely not a force to be reckoned with...

**Vanity Boswell**

I emerged from my bedroom to find Magnus sitting on the couch, staring at his clasped hands. Shimmer was still asleep or probably hungover.

"What kept you up last night, cousin?" I questioned, taking an apple from the fruit bowl before lying out on the couch.

"Nightmares," he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"Really? I slept wonderfully last night," I replied coolly, taking a bite from my apple.

"And how is that cousin?"

"Because I came up with a plan to disrupt the District Twelve and Two alliance."

"Disrupt?" he questioned, smoothing out his disheveled hair.

"I realized that no amount of seducing would get the boys to sway. Unlike Seven's alliance, they're not imbeciles. I will simply just have to ruffle their feathers a little bit," I stated.

"Be careful, Vanity, you're making yourself enemies. Anger is the most efficient fuel," Magnus warned, shooting me a wary look.

"Yes, but it is also the cause of many downfalls," I corrected.

He leaned forward, very much awake now. "So what's the plan?"

A sly grin slowly formed on my face. "Here's what I'm going to do…"

* * *

**Hmm, I wonder who will win...**

**Trying to give each tribute a fair amount of face time, but it's hard when you don't have much to work off of so bare with me!**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	13. Plots and Scorings

**Magnus Luxuria**

Today was our private training sessions and scorings. If Vanity wanted to execute her plan, she had to do it during our breaks. I still had no idea of what I was going to do to impress the game maker tonight and I was worrying about the upcoming games. I don't know how Vanity can stay so calm and collected at the moment. I noticed how Siren marveled Vanity, but not in the way most people do. Most people fall in love with her charm and appearance, he admired her brains. I'm sure if we weren't all in the games and we were born into the same district, Vanity and Siren would have been good friends.

Vanity decided to make her move during dinner. We gave Siren a run down of the plan before making our way to where District Twelve and Two were sitting. They were quietly talking among themselves, but abruptly stopped when they saw us. Our particular target openly glared at Vanity, who wore a cool smirk. We took our trays and sat right across from them as they tensed uneasily. Good. They knew what they were up against.

"Hi, I don't think we have properly met yet. I'm Vanity Boswell," Vanity greeted.

"Magnus Luxuria," I chipped in, keeping a stoic face.

"I'm Siren Reef."

They seemed conflicted, but the usually quiet one responded through his teams' silence. "Rhu Glabra." Rhu's team quickly followed his example and regained their wits.

"Arya Nightshade."

"Shade Verin."

"What brings you here?" Arya asked carefully. Translation. _Why the hell are you sitting in front of us?_

"We thought, since we're the two biggest alliances out of the twenty-four tributes that we should at least meet each other, considering we will probably be the final ten," Vanity replied casually, examining her manicure before giving Arya a wry smile. "It's a shame that probably one of the six of us sitting here will be the only one going home in a week or so. I mean, out of us five volunteers, you're probably the only one who didn't do it for selfish reasons. I can only imagine how heartbroken your family will be if you don't come back, Arya," she said in mock sincerity. "I'm sure with your decent archery skills you poached illegally just to feed them. I mean, how will those _Seam _folk survive without another person scavenging around? I'm sure they're struggling not to starve as we speak."

"If you know what's good for you, I suggest that you shut up," Arya barked. Both Rhu and Shade put a hand on her shoulder to stop her from doing anything drastic. Shade seemed ready to take measures into his own hands if need be. He was fairly protective of her.

Vanity giggled lightly. "I didn't mean to offend you. I was just stating the obvious. You Seam kids are so short-fused. From your appearance during the reaping, any person with a functioning brain could tell you were from the Seam with your grungy skin and hand-me-down dress. Must've been your mothers." Arya's jaw visibly clenched. So her mother was a sore spot. "And for the fact you didn't volunteer in someone's stead, you must have thought you could win and bring back a fortune to your starving family."

"I know I can win," she bit out.

Shade opened his mouth to speak, but Vanity beat him to it. "Quite the proud one, aren't we?"

"You have to be proud to win," Rhu stated, spooning a mouthful of food into his mouth. He was the only one eating at the moment.

Vanity acknowledged him, giving him a wary eye. "True, but arrogance never plays favorable."

"And neither does vanity."

"I never said it didn't," Vanity replied, laughing at his twist of words, before turning towards Arya. "You know, I think we're very similar, you and I"

"I'm nothing like you," Arya bit out venomously.

"Of course you are. We both use the assets we were blessed with to _persuade _others. It's not very original, really. That's how Seven plans to survive anyhow."

"She's not a flaunt like you and Seven," Shade shot back in her defence. "She's too good to be compared to the likes of you."

"You're not one to talk, lover boy," she retorted with just as much spite. "But I do suppose you have a point. Good has always been identified as being naive while evil identifies with wit and knowledge," Vanity mused. "Anyways, I came here to sympathize with you, not to argue like bickering children. Personally, it's you I'm worried about Arya. We all came from wealthy backgrounds, but you have a struggling family at home, but I'm sure whoever wins will send a bit of money to your family. It's quite pitiful really, how people die of starvation and disease every day in the Seam. Judging from your previous reactions, it's quite obvious that your mother is either dying or has died from starvation or disease…"

"SHUT UP!" Arya shouted, flipping over her lunch tray, some of its contents spilling onto Vanity. I had a speck of potatoes land on my shirt and Siren had a pea in his hair that he casually picked out.

Vanity kept a stoic faced as she flicked a bit of rice off of her cheek. "And very ill-mannered. You can never expect much from Seam trash."

With that, Vanity got up and walked out of the dining hall with me and Siren at her heels. Once we got inside the elevator, Vanity laughed mirthlessly. Siren and I just stared at her.

"I would think you'd be mad that she dumped her lunch on you," I stated, raising a questioning eyebrow at her.

"Please. I saw it coming and it's nothing a good shower can't fix," she said disdainfully. "It was well worth it."

"I personally don't see what you got out of that," Siren remarked coolly.

She simply shook her head at him. "Her reaction shows that I was able to get under her skin, proving her family as her weakness and that her emotions determine her actions. They're a tricky team you see. You have to break them from the inside out. Breaking their bondage would be impossible in one sitting, but heightening their insecurity would be easy. Insecurity means that their minds are on other things and not their main goal; to win. For their team in particular, I only had to target Arya to set off a chain reaction. Arya will probably be worrying about her family or feeling threatened by me, Shade will be worrying about Arya, and Rhu, if anything, will be worrying about the stability of his team. Add in a few insults and you have a recipe for self-destruction."

"And what would you have done if she had snapped like Six and picked a fight?" Siren questioned.

"She wouldn't dare. Six was only pardoned because Aria inflicted it. The proof was spilled all over her. Arya, on the other hand, wouldn't have any reasoning. It would be our word against theirs and we would probably win. She would be severely punished and someone back at home would be taking the beating. By the way she reacted, she wouldn't want any harm to be brought upon her family. Unlike Seven though, she's smart enough to realize that," she stated smoothly. "Siren, you worry too much. I'm always three steps ahead of my enemies, no matter how much they think they have the upper hand." We reached our floor and stepped out of the elevator. "You're free to stay and keep Magnus company while I shower. I'm sure that mousy girl you have to live with isn't very entertaining," Vanity called behind her as she walked ahead.

She really was a fearsome woman.

**Vanity Boswell**

I was the first to go for scoring. I stood before the game makers who observed from a higher balcony and slightly bowed. "Vanity Boswell from District One." I saw how some of them men stared at me appreciated like many before them have and many after them will.

I took three Frisbee disks and three knives. I threw all three disks at the same time and then pinned each one of them against the opposite wall with the throwing knives, dead center. I then sauntered over to the male anatomical dummy. I propped it up before I slipped my tongue between its fleshy lips and kissed it heatedly. I could feel that all their eyes were on me. I ran my hands over its thighs and chest like I would a lover. I kissed my way down his face and down to his neck. I ran a finger down its cold cheek before ripping out its throat with my teeth.

I spit out the hunk of fake flesh and kicked the dummy to the side disdainfully. "Thank you for your time."

**Magnus Luxuria**

I nervously entered the room and observed my surroundings. "Magnus Luxuria from District One."

I took one of the spears and hurdled it into one of the smaller targets across the room. It hit directly in the center as always. I then took another spear and did some close range examples with the dummies, hitting them with the butt and shaft, or impaling them. Lastly, I took a sword and beheaded and gutted an anatomical dummy in less than five seconds before giving a low bow. "Thank you."

**Noelle Tomas**

I was next to go into the lion's den. "Noelle Tomas from District Two."

Not sure where to start first, I tried a little of everything, snares, fires, plants, knots, archery, and the like, but I wasn't very advanced in any of them. The game makers soon became bored and diverted their attention away, making me boil with anger. I snatched a sword and began hacking at everything in my path. They still didn't give me a second glance. I went over to the knives and tried my hand at knife throwing, but no matter what I did, they kept ignoring me. In a fit of rage, I threw my dagger right above Seneca Crane's head before storming out. I'll show them. I'll show them all that I'm not weak.

**Shade Verin**

After Noelle stormed passed me, I entered the training room. I bowed before the game makers before stating my name and district. Settling with the blades, I grabbed two swords and used my agility and technique to shred apart every dummy in the room in under a minute. I then tested one of the spear's weights in my hand before throwing it right into the center of a target about fifty feet away. I then rammed my sword into the belly of an anatomical dummy before kicking it to the side and bowing.

**Siren Reef**

I casually walked into the training room and bowed before the onlookers. "Siren Reef from District Four."

I took some fishing wire from the fishing station and proceeded to make a net out of it. Setting the trap up, I laid the net on the ground and dumped some leaves from the camouflage station on it to make it look like regular forest ground. I then grabbed one of the anatomical dummies and pushed it into the net trap. In an instant, the dummy set off the trap and the net ensnared it. The sharp strings cut through the flesh and the fake blood and hunks of skin fell the the training room floor in a bloody heap. I bowed deeply and smirked. "Thank you."

**Kin Ochi**

"Kin Ochi from Six," I stated bluntly and made my way towards the fire station.

In a matter seconds, I had a good fire going. Grabbing a series of berries and plants from the plant station, I mixed together a seemingly harmless concoction. I poured the mixture on and around one of the anatomical dummies before throwing a small splinter of fire onto the dummy. It instantly lit up like a candle, creating a bonfire inside of the training room. I couldn't help but feel so captivated by the flames that I didn't hear the game makers screaming for someone to put the fire out.

**Aria Garnet**

I entered the training room. It had the strange smell of burnt rubber, but I forced myself to clamp my mouth shut and bow. "Aria Garnet from District Seven." I stood there, studying each of the men above me. Many of them were observing me with smirks on their faces. "You know," I said to them, tilting my head. "You should give me a good score."

The head game maker, Seneca Crane scoffed. "And why would I do that?"

I proceeded to take my shirt off and smiled innocently at him. "I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be."

**Levi Pierce**

I passed Aria on the way to the training room. She was adjusting her shirt and fixing her hair with a smirk on her face. I entered the room and bowed before the judges. "Levi Pierce from District Seven. Before I start, I will need a live test subject to perform on."

Seneca Crane nodded in approval and a lab rat was sent to me in a cage. I mixed several specially prepared plants and herbs together, making a dark purple mixture, before slowly heating it over a fire. Dipping a knife into it, I made a small cut on the lab rat. It squealed before trashing a bit and falling over dead.

"This mixture causes instant death if even a little gets into the blood stream. It requires a specific proportion and preparation of each ingredient or else the effects will change drastically," I stated. I bowed respectively and exited.

**Ivy Allende**

I entered with my head held high and stopped before the game makers. I dispised everything they stood for, making us fight each other to the death. I hated them more than the repressive peace keepers back in District Eight. For now, though, I had to play their game if I wanted to survive. "Ivy Allende from District Eight."

I prepped myself before the obstacle course. Okay Ivy, you can do this. I ran the obstacle course at full throttle, swinging, climbing, crawling, and shoving my way through it. I ran it in two minutes and five seconds, my best record yet. I caught my breath as I went to grab a throwing knife. Remembering Rhu's instructions, I threw it at the target and hit a bulls-eye. I then grabbed a sword and made three quick slashes at one of the dummies. It fell over in four separate pieces on the ground. Out of breath, I quickly bowed and exited the room.

**Arya Nightshade**

I was the second to last one to enter the training room. I felt my anxiety build up, wondering what the judges had previously seen. "Arya Nightshade from District Twelve."

I made a beeline for the archery station and selected a bow and arrow. I shot three arrows at the target, each one of them hitting the center. In a last ditch attempt to gain their attention, I mixed together some berries and dipped my arrow into it. I aimed the arrow at the light fixture across the room and released. It shattered the glass and the electricity, mixed with the acidic berries, combusted, causing the light fixture to catch fire and fall to the ground in a burning heap. The man who murdered Rhu's parents rubbed his temples as he called for someone to extinguish the fire.

"Thank you," I stated with a satisfied smirk.

**Rhu Glabra**

I slowly walked in front of the game makers, not one of them being denied the scrutiny of my gaze. "Rhu Glabra from District Twelve," I stated, watching Seneca Crane carefully. A spark of recognition appeared on his face.

I made my way to assemble four dummies in a row. I turned the third one around so his back was to my audience. Taking a bow, I released an arrow into the stomach of the first one where his first bullet killed my father. I released the second arrow into the heart of the next dummy. That was for my mother. I sent the next arrow into the lower spinal column of the third dummy. How he paralyzed my brother. The last arrow, I sent into the head of the last dummy, almost hitting it dead center. The bullet that nearly killed me.

I looked over at Seneca Crane with a smirk. He was completely white and sweating bullets. His comrades didn't seem to notice as they tried to understand the meaning behind my targets. I ran my hand through my hair, making sure he saw the scar he left on my forehead before going to the knife section. I took one of the knives, but switched it with a knife I kept hidden in my sleeve. I threw it straight at him, making the tiniest of cuts across his cheek. It didn't bleed yet so no one noticed. I'm sure he didn't even feel it. The knife was buried into the center of the Capitol insignia on the wall behind him. I bowed low with a grin on my face. "It's been a pleasure."

My purpose here was fulfilled.

**Seneca Crane**

I was now pacing in my bedroom as I replayed the Glabra boy's stunt in my head. How could he survive a bullet to the head? Damn, my cheek was sore. I went to the bathroom to see if I had some kind of bruise or bug bite. I wasn't expecting to see a trail of blood running down my face. How did I get that?

* * *

**So who would you place your bet on? Being unbiased, of course.**

**Damn, I'm just popping these things out like rabbits. I have no life...**

**Eleven tributes to write scorings for and I'm exhausted. No wonder people who have twenty-four SYOT's never finish these.**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	14. Scores and Twists

**_Guest review for Chapter 13_ - What? Magnus, Siren, and Levi don't get any love?**

* * *

**Vanity Boswell**

Magnus, Siren, and I lounged on the couch as we watched the broadcasting of our scores. Shimmer, being as supportive as she is, was downing a bottle of wine in her bedroom. Our Capitol representative, Paris, chattered animatedly to someone on her phone in the kitchenette.

_"Wow, this year's scores look pretty good. This will definitely make an interesting year," _Caesar announced. _"Let's start with District One. Vanity Boswell… Ten."_

_"Deadly _and_ gorgeous," _Reeter, his partner, commented. I smirked triumphantly at my score.

_"Magnus Luxuria… Nine."_

_"Aren't Vanity and Magnus cousins? It's a shame that a family will be broken."_

"Congratulations, Magnus," I stated smoothly.

He blushed lightly at the compliment. My genuine compliments were a rarity. "Thanks."

_"Noelle Tomas… Eight," _Caesar announced.

_"Still a good score. I'm sure that that little girl has an ace up her sleeve," _Reeter chipped in.

_"Shade Verin… Ten."_

My lips twitched into a frown. I suppose I wasn't expecting anything less from a District Two career. Finally, they came to Siren.

_"Siren Reef… Ten."_

He threw his fist into the air in triumph.

"Good job Siren," Magnus said, clamping a hand on his shoulder. I nodded in approval.

"Two tens and a nine. This calls for celebration." Siren jumped up and grabbed a bottle of wine and three flutes.

We continued to watch the scoring while drinking the bottle of expensive wine.

_"Kin Ochi… Seven."_

"I wasn't expecting much from her anyways," I Magnus commented. I remembered Shimmer's warning from our train ride here and made a note to watch out for her.

"Aria Garnet… Six."

I scoffed. "I wonder what she had to do to even get a score."

"Levi Pierce… Nine."

"A nine?" Siren questioned incredulously.

"He's a smart one," I remarked. "Knowledge is power."

_"Ivy Allende… Eight."_

"I'll have to keep an eye out on her. I personally don't see how she's anything special," I said, taking another sip of wine.

"She's fast I saw her run the obstacle course in a little over two minutes," Siren replied, refilling his glass.

_"Arya Nightshade… Nine."_

"One ten and a nine… Let's see what the rest of their alliance got."

_"Rhu Glabra… Twelve."_

"WHAT?" I shrieked. The glass in my hand shattered in my grip as I stood up.

_"A twelve? No one in Hunger Game history has ever gotten that. I wonder what he did to get that score..." _Caesar commented.

I screamed in frustration and threw a glass cup holder at the television, shattering it and abruptly ending Ceasar's statement. "Get out! All of you get out!" I scram at the avoxes and Paris. The avoxes dispersed and Paris gave an indignant huff before leaving us alone.

I paced around the room, trying to figure out what my next move will be. God damn it! He just had to go and ruin my plans! I should have kept an eye out for him instead of that Seam rat.

"Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!"

This changes everything…

**Arya Nightshade**

_"Rhu Glabra… Twelve,"_ Caesar announced.

Haymitch, Shade, and I stared dumbfounded at the television with our jaws dropped. I turned around to where Rhu was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He was giving the television a glare that could freeze hell. He stood up and stormed right out of our quarters before we could stop him.

"Damn… this is bad…" Haymitch muttered.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Isn't his score good?"

He shook his head and rubbed his temples. "What did that boy do? He must've pissed the game maker off so much to give him a score like that."

"I'm not following…"

"Since he got the highest score, not to mention the highest score ever earned, he will be a big target amongst the other tributes. Many of them will want to take him out first. I can bet every alliance is plotting something right now," Shade explained gravely. "The question is, what did he do to offend the game makers?"

I thought for a moment, but immediately remembered who the head game maker was. "Seneca Crane," I muttered. Shade nodded knowingly.

"Well it seems like that kid just made all of you lambs to the slaughter in a matter of seconds," Haymitch stated before taking a swig of whiskey.

**Haymitch**

"Well," I stated, getting up. "I'm going to go find him. He shouldn't be walking around, especially now of all times."

Arya and Shade nodded and I left our quarters to go find him. Knowing that he wouldn't linger on any of the other districts' floors or the main floor, I went to the roof. I found him leaning against the railing, looking over the celebrating city below.

"Look, I'm not in the mood," he snapped without turning around.

"Calm down, it's me," I stated, moving beside him.

"What are you doing here?" Rhu spat, giving me a brief side-glance before looking back out.

"I was just curious on what you could have possibly done to anger the game makers."

He threw his head back and laughed mirthlessly. "You want to know what I did?" he asked with a twisted grin. "Seneca Crane murdered my parents. I was returning the favor."

I paled at this. This boy was truly insane. "You didn't actually…"

"I made sure he knew it was me before I made my move. If you had been slightly more sober during our private training session, you would have noticed I snuck a knife out with me. I coated it with a poison I made during training that would give a slow, painful death. Of course, he wouldn't be able to see or feel the cut I made until hours later, but he will die within a week's time. By then, all the knives would have been cleaned, removing any evidence and I will be either in the games or dead." Rhu turned towards me and narrowed his eyes. "Now what is the real reason you came to find me?"

I swallowed. He was bright. His silent behavior masked his brains. "You're obviously a strong and smart kid and you despise the Capitol and all that it stands for."

"Yes, I suppose that's true."

"I want you to win the games."

He smirked in amusement. "Humor me."

"Win the games and come home as a victor. There are many people, including myself, throughout the districts and Capitol who are planning to overthrow the government. We would benefit greatly if you participated. To the people, you will be a martyr, a war hero." Rhu frowned and seemed to be judging what his best move would be. He needed a push in the right direction. "There's no point of you coming all the way here just to die if you were able get away with the murder you committed. Don't you want to get revenge on the people who killed your parents? Don't you want to ensure a better life for your brother and his future family?"

He scoffed at this and turned away. "Of course I do."

"Then I hope we have an agreement," I edged.

Rhu seemed conflicted for a brief moment before his fiery blue eyes locked on mine. "… Deal."

* * *

**Uh oh, District Twelve and Two are in trouble. Will Rhu betray his team? What will Vanity's next move be? What are the other tributes plotting? Interviews next!**

**I deleted the short prolouge so chapter reviewing is a little disfunctional as of late.**

**God, trying to write eleven interviews is torture. I'm sure if I was writing for twenty-four tributes, I would have quit before finishing the reapings.**

**Happy Christmas/Holidays/Late Hanukkah/Early Kwanzaa/Yule**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	15. Interviews and Kisses

**Vanity Boswell**

All twenty-four of us tributes waited back stage as Ceasar started his introduction. Just as he began, District Twelve and Two passed us. Shade wore a dark blue suit and tie, Arya wore a black dress with red, purple, and orange rhinestones on it, much like her chariot outfit, and Rhu wore black slacks and a black sports jacket, showing his bare chest.

"Quite the creative one, huh?" I mocked Arya as she passed.

She halted abruptly and glared at me. "At least I don't look like a common whore," she spat, indicating my tight see-through gold dress. "It makes it obvious that the Capitol has its perks." She was obviously making a jab at my weight.

I chuckled at her pitiful attempt. I was fairly confident about my body. "I'm not self-conscious about my appearance. You can thank generations of perfect genetics," I retorted, before I was called onto the stage. I briefly met Rhu's eyes before discretely slipping a note into his pocket.

Being the first tribute, I had a disadvantage. I couldn't observe the other interviews and plan accordingly and I would be forgotten after twenty-three more tributes. I had to make a statement. I walked confidently onto the stage and was greeted by cries and cheers from the adoring audience. The dress, especially in the lighting, showed every curve and feature of my body. I could have practically entered the stage naked. Not like I had a problem with that. I sat down across from Caesar and gave my most dazzling smile. I was going to charm this city to my every beck and call. Knowledge is my power and beauty is my weapon.

**Magnus Luxuria**

I entered the stage, wearing a silver suit and tie. The crowd soaked up my waves as I sat down before Caesar.

"So Magnus, I just had your beautiful cousin out here. How do you feel about facing her in the games?" Caesar asked.

I smiled sadly. "It pains me. I love her dearly. I'll protect her with my life during the games," I stated, acting exactly how Vanity told me to. The audience moaned sorrowfully.

"You would give your life for her?"

"She _is _my life. I'd go through hell and back just to protect her," I swore. "Vanity is like a sister to me. I wouldn't be able to bare it if I saw her die. You can't even imagine the horror I felt when our district selected both of us to volunteer this year."

The audience was eating it up. Good. Vanity's plan to get sponsors was a success.

**Noelle Tomas**

I sat across from Caesar in a white dress with roses sewn onto it. I was going for an angelic angle, being one of the youngest tributes.

"So Noelle, how is it that a girl so young volunteered for the Hunger Games?"

I smiled softly. "I volunteered in my friend's stead. She's very dear to me," I replied, earning positive audience reaction.

"I'm sure the angels cry from your sacrifice. It must've taken a lot of courage to volunteer in her place."

I nodded. "It did, but I was also scared. It definitely wasn't easy. I know… I know that it'll be near impossible for me to go home."

The audience pitied me and my innocent façade. It was working well in my favor.

"That's terrible! I'm sure you're being missed as we speak."

With that, I turned on the water works and began to cry. "Both of my parents are dead. My sister and brother are all I have now."

My audience let out a cry of agony as Caesar quickly tried to console me. The audience was wailing by the time my buzzer went off.

I exited the stage and disdainfully wiped my crocodile tears. I didn't need Shade to get sponsors. I had them in the palm of my hand already. I was determined to get back to Belle and Noel and I will use any means necessary.

**Shade Verin**

I entered after Noelle went. As soon as I sat down, I was bombarded by questions.

"So Shade, you're a strong, attractive young male. Do you have a sweetheart?"

I studied him for a moment before answering. "No, but there is a girl I have my eye on."

He grinned at this. "So tell us about this mysterious girl," Caesar edged, earning squeals from the female gender.

"I saw her my first day coming to the Capitol and I grew interested in her," I thought back to when I first saw Arya. "She's caring, yet strong and fierce. She's very independent and sometimes has too much pride for her own good, but to me, she's beautiful both inside and out."

"So she's here in the Capitol?" Caesar asked.

I scanned the audience, causing the girls to swoon. I quickly schooled my facial features as a smirk threatened to appear. "Yeah, I'm sure she's in this very room."

**Siren Reef**

I sat down in front of Caesar, wearing khaki pants, a white shirt, and suspenders. It was simple, but the crowd loved it.

"Siren, how are you liking the Capitol?"

"It's amazing. There are so many things I didn't know existed and I've met many interesting people."

"Like who?"

"Well, I feel that each tribute is unique in their own way and bring something different to the games. It'll be tough this year. One person that stuck out though was my fellow career, Vanity Boswell," I recited. I had to make sure to mention her so that these dimwitted Capitol folk wouldn't forget her by the end.

"Really? What about her interests you?"

"She's beautiful. Beauty draws everything in, but what really got me was her knowledge. Most people just see her exterior and label her as being gorgeous, but when you get to know her, she's a genius."

"Do you have feelings for her?" Caesar questioned, hoping for a good scoop.

I shook my head. "Strictly friendship. Though, I'm sure if we were both born in the same place, there could have been a possibility for a relationship."

The audience soaked that up and I'm sure that they will be hoping we will fall in love and liver happily ever after… but things just don't work that way.

**Kin Ochi**

I sat across from Caesar wearing a black leather jacket, shirt, and jeans. All the other tributes were worried about being all glammed up, but I never really cared for appearances. Appearances don't define who you are anyways.

"So Kin, do you miss home?" Caesar asked. "The Capitol must be so different from the environment you grew up in."

I laughed mirthlessly. "Please. I don't miss home or anyone there and I'm sure it's well reciprocated." Caesar looked taken back by my reply. He probably wasn't expecting the truth. "And you'd be surprised Caesar, the Capitol and District Six are quite alike," I continued ominously.

Caesar smiled nervously. "How are you liking the Capitol then?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "It has its perks I suppose. I swear you guys are fattening us up like pigs to the slaughter." I laughed, though Caesar shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

I toyed with him relentlessly until my buzzer went off. God that was the most fun I've had so far. I couldn't wait for tomorrow though. Let the burning begin.

**Aria Garnet**

I stepped onto the stage wearing a tight, short, red dress. I was to die for, if can I say so myself.

"Aria, why don't you look dazzling tonight," Caesar greeted as I sat down across from him.

"Thank you Caesar," I purred while crossing my legs, showing my black lacy girdle.

"Now Aria, what are you planning to do if you win the games?"

I flashed some of my pearly whites before answering. "I don't know Caesar. Maybe I'll head back home, though that sounds dreadfully boring. Maybe I'll find a nice Capitol man and settle down," I hinted, trying to appeal to the dirty old rich men who would be excellent sponsors.

"You're so young though."

I flipped my hair over my shoulder and smiled towards my audience. "I'm old for my age. Besides, I'll be of age by next year."

"Well, I'll be rooting for you then."

I giggled. "I'm sure you will."

**Levi Pierce**

I entered the stage wearing a simple white dress shirt and black dress pants. I made myself comfortable before acknowledging the man in front of me.

"Levi, tell us about yourself. You've been a character the Capitol hasn't heard much from."

"Well for one thing, Caesar, I am enjoying the Capitol. It's quite dazzling next to the grayness of District Seven. Then again, I'm sure it's like that with the other districts. You must be proud of where you came from."

He soaked up the compliment greedily. "Yes, yes I am. So that's quite the score you pulled there. A nine, very impressive. I'm sure the Capitol is eager to hear what you did."

I smiled teasingly. "It's a secret, though I'm sure you'll be able to figure out my riddle when you see me in the games."

Yes, I'm sure all the tributes will be able to figure out my riddle, but by then, it'll be too late.

**Ivy Allende**

I wore a beautiful white lace dress with an ivy design onto the stage. I've got to say, my designers were amazing. I also wore the necklace Shell gave me for good luck. I was going to need it as my heart felt like it would burst from nervousness.

"Ivy, how are you tonight?" Caesar asked as I sat down.

"I'm wonderful, thank you Caesar," I replied politely.

"So Ivy, information was leaked out from District Eight about your ability to dance. I'm sure we're all dying to hear about it."

"I was taught ballet by one of the women working at the community home I live at. I've become very experienced so I used to teach some of the girls in the district how to dance as well. I was very fortunate to be able to learn such a beautiful thing. Most people in the districts have never even heard of ballet and it is definitely a very rare gift."

"And I'm sure it's come in handy with training," he stated. "So Ivy, is there anyone back at District Eight waiting for you?"

"Yes. I don't have any family, but I have my friends at the community home who are very much like family to me."

"Rumor has it that there is a special boy waiting at home for you."

I immediately thought of Jeremy, though we never saw each other romantically. I couldn't draw attention to him. Not when he's thinking of conspiracy. "No. There's no one."

"That's a shame. You're really beautiful."

I brightened at the compliment. I always felt outshined by Vanity and Aria. Just then, the buzzer went off and I exited the stage. I lightly touched the piece of coral around my neck when I was safely backstage. Looks like my luck is looking good… for now…

**Arya Nightshade**

I wore a dress similar to my chariot attire onto the stage. My designers were creative, but not very original.

"Good evening Arya," Caesar greeted cheerfully.

"Evening, Caesar," I replied, sitting next to him.

"Let's just jump into the questions, shall we? How was training like?"

"Well, it was intense, but I learned a lot of things that will probably save my life out in the arena."

"And how are you feeling about tomorrow?"

"Well it is the Hunger Games. Who isn't anxious to see what's in store?" Though I'm sure the definition of 'anxious' differs between the Capitol and the districts.

Caesar laughed full heartedly. "That's the spirit! I personally am excited to see who comes out as the victor. There are a lot of tough competitors this year so it'll be difficult to say who will win."

I wanted to throw up in disgust. How can anyone see this as entertaining? I swallowed my pride and forced my way through the interview with fake smiles and sweetened answers.

**Rhu Glabra**

I was the last out of the twenty-four to go. It was an advantage since I was able to watch everybody else's interview and I would be the first person on the Capitol's mind when they left.

"Ah Rhu Glabra, so let's get straight to the point. How did you pull that impressive score?"

I inwardly scoffed. Impressive? More like death sentence. I shrugged nonchalantly and smirked. "You'll find out, I'm sure," I replied, playing it cool.

"Such a mystery. It seems like everything about you is a mystery. No family, no connections. It's all very puzzling."

"Ah, but it's the mysterious ones who tend to surprise others."

I eased my way through my interview with the note Vanity placed into my pocket in mind.

Meet me on my floor after the interviews.

What was she up to? Everyone started to head back to their floors after the interview. Arya came up to me expectantly, but I shook my head.

"You go ahead. I need to take care of some business."

"Like what?"

"Doing some last minute digging. Trust me I know what I'm doing."

She frowned, but didn't object. "Okay, if you know what you're doing…"

Arya went up the elevator first and I waited for the rest of the tributes to clear out before I took the elevator to District One's floor.

**Vanity Boswell**

I waited alone in our rooms for Glabra to show up. I'm sure he would turn up. Magnus was with Siren on his floor while I made the avoxes, my designers, Paris, and Shimmer leave. After a few minutes, he finally turned up.

Rhu entered without knocking and immediately locked eyes with me. "Why did you call me here?"

"I was sure that out of the three in your group, you would be the one less likely to strangle me on the spot," I replied matter of factly. Both of our facades were down and our real faces emerged.

"I'm not as emotionally-driven as my teammates are."

"You know, you and I are very alike. We're ambitious, strong, and smart. We see through the ruse everyone else plays and we quickly figure out the charades that the others put on," I led on. "Like how I know you came here for a reason, though I don't think it was for the prize money. You watch the others from the sidelines, not caring much about the games at all. It's almost as if you came here on a mission besides winning."

"You're not the only one good at reading people. You are everything you stated; ambitious, strong, and smart, though you use it to cause trouble. You use your brains and beauty to stir up problems within the alliances and slowly try to turn the tables in your favor. You may seem like you care about your cousin and your other career, but you don't. All you care about is yourself and you don't care about whom you use to get what you want, even if it means twenty-three lives. Most people find you beautiful, but I see through that. I see a wretched, pathetic girl who desperately wants attention and has never and will never have a single friend in the world. What I see disgusts me. To me, you are the most vile and unattractive girl I have ever met."

I didn't think as I quickly closed the distance between us and kissed him heatedly, running my hands up his bare chest. I dropped my dress, exposing my bare body to him and pushed him back onto the sofa. Though he didn't respond to my kisses, he didn't reject them either.

"Join our alliance," I whispered against his skin. "We could be so much more… together."

For a moment, I thought he responded, but he pushed me off of him. I stumbled onto the floor and felt something slide onto my shoulders. I looked in surprise to see his jacket covering me. Without a word, he left the room, leaving me alone, naked and speechless.

Ugh! How could I act on an impulse like that? I could have just ruined our chances of beating them by my idiotic mistake. I tightened my grip on the jacket and for once felt self conscious and vulnerable by someone else's words.

* * *

**Uh oh, Vanity's starting to make slip ups and right before the games too. What can be instore for the first day of the games?**

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Went on a little vacation from home.**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	16. Running and Eruptions

**Arya Nightshade**

At last, the day of the games had arrived and saying that I was nervous was an understatement. I waited anxiously to be lifted into the arena, wondering what Shade and Rhu were thinking about. Thinking about Shade made me flash back to his interview the night before. Knowing him, he would never fall for a Capitol girl, so I guessed that it was a ploy to get sponsors. Rhu returned to our floor later that night without his jacket and he refused to tell me what he had to do. I swear that boy will be the death of me.

I was lifted into the arena and they started the countdown. The arena was like a slap to the face. I wasn't expecting this to be where the cornucopia would be placed. We stood on rock platforms surrounded by molten lava. The bloodbath was to be held on an active volcano. The cornucopia sat in the center on a large floating rock and there were other rock platforms that would be our stepping-stones to it. It would be wise not to spend too much time here though. The volcano looked like it was ready to blow.

Finally, the countdown ended and I sprinted towards the cornucopia. Rhu, Shade, the District Two girl, the District Eight girl, Vanity, and I were the first ones to the cornucopia. Rhu and I grabbed a bow and arrow and started to shoot down the others who started to get to the cornucopia. District Two and Eight grabbed their things and left before we could shoot them down and Vanity threw several things to her teammates before fleeing. I positioned an arrow at her and let it fly, but she swung her backpack inches before it hit her.

"We need to get out of here!" Rhu shouted as he released another arrow.

"I got our stuff, let's go!" Shade shouted back.

We made a break for it and stumbled onto the edge of the volcano. The volcano was a steep drop without any ledges to climb. We were reminded of our short time limit as the volcano rumbled dangerously. Rhu rummaged through out stuff and pulled out a grappling hook. Tying an arrow on one end, he shot it out and it dug deeply into one of the giant pines surrounding the mountain. Shade helped him secure the hook on the edge of the cliff. Rhu then took out two of his arrows and handed one to Shade.

"These are made out of steel, we can use these to slide down the line."

The let me go first, followed by Rhu then Shade. We cut the line before descending the tree and making a break for it.

"I don't care where we end up, but we need to get as far away from here as possible," I stated as soon as we began running.

"Good idea. Avoiding lava first, strategizing later," Shade agreed.

We ran for about ten minutes before we heard an ear-shattering boom. The volcano erupted angrily and shook the earth around us. We didn't need to look back to know we had to run faster.

We came to a halt as we encountered a small river in our path.

"Come on, we have to get across. The packs act as floatation devices," Shade stated, tossing one to each of us.

I didn't need to be told twice and Rhu was already in the water. I just hoped there was nothing dangerous in the water. We crossed the river without incident and quickly shed our wet jackets before running again. I could see the lava racing down the cliff side and burning its way towards the river. Hopefully, the river will stop the lava from chasing us any further.

**Levi Pierce**

I was probably one of the last ones to get to the cornucopia. My original plan was to avoid the bloodbath, but seeing that all chances to come back to the cornucopia was dashed, it left me no choice. Luckily everyone, even the larger alliances, was too busy trying to leave to bother trying to kill each other. I grabbed a pack and ran for it. I met up with Kin on the edge of the volcano and was trying to figure a way to get off this blasted mountain. Seeing the cut line District Twelve and Two left behind, I got an idea. I looked over to see Kin, entranced by the lava. I roughly grabbed her arm and shook her.

"Come on, we have to go!" I shouted, but she still didn't respond.

"Levi what are you doing?!" Aria shrieked from the cornucopia, Ren and Zane by her side, looking just as confused.

I growled in frustration and smacked Kin across the face, shocking her out of her daze. "Snap out of it! Let's go!"

I grabbed the line and started to descend down the cliff, quickly followed by Kin. The line ended about twenty feet above the ground, so we stumbled down the cliff the rest of the way. Once at the bottom, the volcano erupted. Without hesitation, we ran for our lives as fast as we could.

**Ivy Allende**

I was safely across the river now and stopped once I reached higher ground. Catching my breath, I climbed a tree to get a better view of the volcano. It was a smaller volcano so the lava would reach me and the river seemed to stop the lava from coming any further. I could see the steam rising from the lava and the water colliding. I could tell that the river encircled the volcano by the ring of steam around it. Dread sunk into me as I realized that the lava might cut off the only source of water there was in the entire arena. I involuntarily shivered in my wet clothes and shed my jacket. It was mid-day right now and it would be best to sleep in the protection of the trees now and travel in the shadows, so I strapped myself to the branch and nodded off. Now the hard part was not to scream from the nightmares.

**Noelle Tomas**

My legs gave out after an hour of running. It was safe to say I was safe from the lava. The molten rock stopped spewing out of the volcano and the river stopped it. Needing to get dry, I quickly built a fire and huddled closely to it to stay warm. The bloodbath was over, but the games have just started. I needed to think of a game plan. I would sleep in short intervals, allowing me to be active during both day and night. I can't spend too much time sleeping, especially without any allies to watch over me. I dug around in my pack to see what I had. I had a canteen of water, a thin blanket, a few knives, a rope, and a small tin of ointment. It wasn't much to work off of, but I will collect other necessities later. For now, I decided to stay awake. I'm sure the other tributes will be traveling and I don't want to be taken off guard, especially by the bigger alliances.

**Vanity Boswell**

We stopped running once we encountered a beach. Exhausted, I collapsed on the sand and caught my breath.

"Okay… It seems like the river encircles the volcano and leads out into the ocean and the arena is one big island. The ocean is the end of the arena and I'm sure there's a force field further out to sea," I gasped between breaths.

"I say we camp out here. I know the ocean well enough for us to live off of and if the lava cut off the water supply from the river, I can make some clean water from the ocean," Siren suggested, taking off his wet jacket and shirt.

"Then it's settled, we camp here for today. I don't think anyone else will be hunting until nightfall or even tomorrow."

We decided to sleep in the trees on the edge of the beach and travel back and forth between the forest and the ocean. It was the best way to not get ambushed. Once I strapped myself in, I looked up at the sky, deep in thought. My mind immediately went to the mysterious boy from Twelve.

"Vanity, is something on your mind?" Magnus asked from his tree. Siren was already fast asleep.

I shook my head of my distracting thoughts. "No, it's nothing. I'm waiting for the cannons."

Surely enough, once the sky was dark, the cannons went off and pictures of the dead tributes covered the sky. I silently did a head count in my head to figure out who was still alive. Me, Magnus, Shade, the District Two girl, Siren, the District Six girl, Levi, Aria, the District Eight girl, Ren, Zane, Arya, and Rhu. Eleven tributes died today so that left thirteen others including me. Let the games begin.

* * *

**What we know so far about the arena is that it's an island with a volcano in the center and a river around it. What other things do the game makers have in store? **

**Well my school starts soon, so you won't be hearing from me as often as you did over the winter break.**

**So recently, I've been getting a lot of complaints about not having enough face time for Ivy, Noelle, Kin, and Levi. Good observations. I asked myself the same question and came up with this. You hear a lot from Arya, Rhu, Shade, Aria, Vanity, Siren, and Magnus because they not only speak for themselves, but for their teammates as well. They also have more interaction with others than the characters who aren't in alliances. When doing a point of view from Ivy or Noelle, it's all about them. Frankly, it's not much to build off of. Of course, Kin and Levi had to pretend they weren't in an alliance, but that's not the case anymore. So all of them will be interacting with each other now that the games have started.**

**Author's Note: Vanity calls Ivy, Noelle, and Kin by their districts because she hasn't formally met them. It wouldn't make sense that she knew their names if they haven't interacted yet.**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	17. Plans and Targets

**Ivy Allende**

It was day break when I restrapped myself onto a well hidden branch of a tall tree. All I had was a canteen of water which I treasured, a blanket, a few knives, a rope, some nuts, a small tin of ointment, and a katana sword. Out of the swords available at the cornucopia, I found it the most easiest to use. It was light and didn't need too much strength to use. I spent the previous night gathering nuts and trying to find a water source since the volcano wiped out the river. Well the river has to get water from somewhere. Being from District Eight, I had no idea how to navigate a forest and I didn't know which plants were poisonous. Nuts weren't poisonous, right? I had set up a few traps here and there, but they were small ones like snares and nets. I could probably make ten small traps in the time it would take to make one big elaborate one. Right now though, it would be best to avoid any contact with the other tributes until their numbers dwindled down. I know the alliances will be on the move and I sure don't want to run into them. The best way to avoid the alliances was to lay low and avoid traveling during the day when most of them will be active. Traveling will create a trail for them to follow and I couldn't possibly take them all on at once. While they hunted each other like animals, I will sleep here, hidden in a sea of emerald leaves.

**Levi Pierce**

I sat around the fire with Kin the next morning after breakfast, planning out what our next move will be. Somebody had to do it. Kin, at the moment, was too mesmerized by the fire to think properly. After mulling over our options, I snapped a few times in front of Kin's face to get her attention.

"Okay so here's the plan. There are two big alliances. One is made up of careers and the other one can practically be careers. There's Aria's alliance, there is our alliance, and then there are two rogue girls as well. For the moment, the volcano seems dormant and it's the centerpiece of the arena. Right now we are east of the volcano. I saw the careers head north of the volcano and the other alliance southwest. I don't know where Aria's group went, but they couldn't have gotten far from the river, considering they were one of the last ones to leave the volcano. The two other remaining girls also headed west of the volcano. They aren't in an alliance and they will be traveling alone. I say our best bet is to go after them."

"But they're fast. How are we supposed to catch them?" Kin asked, feeding the fire.

"Please, _we _aren't going to catch them. Here's what we're going to do…"

**Vanity Boswell**

We woke up before dawn the next morning, rigging the whole northern part of the beach that we inhabited with fishing-wire nets and spike pits. Only we knew how to navigate safely from the beach to the forest. From there, we ate fish that Siren taught us how to catch as we began to strategize.

"What's our game plan?" Siren asked, turning over his second fish over the fire.

"As much as I love our little beach, we need to go after the other tributes and staying in one place isn't the best idea for that. We have to leave the beach and search the forests. I say we hunt during the day and then sleep in shifts during the night. Many of the tributes will be active during the day and the ones sleeping will be easier to spot," I stated. I had planned it all out the night before so that we would be ready to move. I had big plans for today.

"So who are we going after first?" Magnus asked before taking a big bite out of his fish.

My lips twitched into a smirk. "We're going after that District Seven whore, Aria."

**Shade Verin**

I awoke the next morning, my eyes a little sore from the heat of the lava. I rubbed my eyes before taking in my surroundings. Arya was lying beside me, fast asleep. It was very different seeing the fiery and spirited girl so peaceful. It was a relief that she wasn't having another nightmare. I turned to where Rhu was supposed to keep watch to find him missing. The question of his absence was answered when he appeared seconds later with three rabbits.

"You want to help me with breakfast?" he asked, holding up the carcasses.

The scent of roasting meat woke up Arya about half an hour later. I almost laughed at how wild her hair looked. She definitely wasn't a morning person.

"Hungry?" I asked, offering her some rabbit.

Taking it, she greedily bit into it. "Thanks."

"Your hair's a mess," Rhu stated bluntly, digging into his breakfast.

She put her meat down and groaned. "My braid must have come undone during the night. God, I hate my hair. I can't do anything with it," she grumbled as she pitifully attempted to braid it.

"Here let me do it," I offered. I took the rubber band from her and began braiding her hair. "It's like how I used to braid ropes back in District Two."

"Part of the career training curriculum?" Rhu asked dully.

I didn't need to reply for any of us to know the answer to his question. As of late, Rhu has been very distant from us. He's become a lot quieter and more cynical after the announcement of our training scores. I was sure Rhu was going to go back on his word to help me protect Arya. He hasn't made a move to kill Seneca Crane and if he wants to carry out his original plan, he would have to win the games to do so. Even if so, Rhu's behavior wouldn't have changed so drastically.

"So what's our schedule for today?" Arya cut in, changing the topic.

"We're going to kill some people," Rhu replied, finishing his rabbit. Both Arya and I were taken back by the brutality of his words. "We're going to spend our days hunting down people and our nights resting. There is the career alliance, the District Seven alliance, and three other girls without alliances. If we were to hunt down the three singles first, it would be hard to find them without knowing which general direction from the volcano they fled to. Our best bet is tracking down one of the alliances."

"The District Seven alliance seems easy enough. Let's go after them first," Arya suggested.

"No. We're at full health right now and our best bet would be going after the career alliance. The District Seven alliance is weak and the longer we wait, the weaker the environment makes them. I'm sure the District Seven male will eventually leave their group as well. He seems very intelligent and can probably survive longer in the wilderness than the rest of his team can," he cut in.

"Alright it's settled then. We're going after the careers," I confirmed.

**Noelle Tomas**

I ate a breakfast of roasted squirrel, packed, and left my campsite. It wasn't safe staying in one place for a long time. It would be suicide trying to take on any of the alliances by myself so my strategy was to set up deadly traps throughout the forest and avoid contact with the other tributes. I'll watch from the sidelines as the alliances kill each other, but until the alliances dwindled down, I will wait in the shadows. For now, I will start on making those traps. I need to get rid of as many tributes as possible in a short amount of time. The longer I stay in this forest the more likely I am to run into trouble.

I needed to find a water source. The volcano eliminated the river, but there had to be another source of water. Maybe if I head in one central direction, I'll run into a stream...

**Aria Garnet**

I woke up exhausted the next morning. We had barely made it across the river and surely would have died if the water hadn't stopped the lava, but now we had no water source. My mind drifted to yesterday's events and my anger immediately boiled. How could Levi abandon me for that ugly bitch? What did she have that I didn't? I was pretty and actually _sane. _He'll pay for betraying me and she'll pay for messing with the wrong girl.

My ears perked as I heard Zane and Ren awaken. I schooled my features and pouted. "I'm hungry. Someone should go find us some food," I whined once they were up.

"I-I'll find something," Ren immediately offered as he jumped up with his knife and ran off into the woods.

"I'll start a fire for us," Zane said as he started to gather the necessary materials.

"Thanks Zane, I don't know what I'd do without you," I cooed seductively and pecked him on the cheek.

I smirked as I watched my gullible pawns at work. It was good being queen.

* * *

**Short-ish chapter, I know, I have to write for all of the alliances and none-alliances now. Fret not though, because it's a prelude to what will happen in the next chapter, which will be...**

**Our first (or first few) cannons!**

**Fair Warning: Next chapter will probably only cover a few characters instead of every alliance/tribute so that I can go into more detail for those characters without writing a novel.**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	18. Screams and Cannons

**Siren Reef**

It was early in the afternoon when we made our move. We crept along the hardened river's edge as we followed the ashen footprints of our targets. It only took a little over an hour to find them. Upon hearing their voices, we hid among the trees, waiting for the opportunity to strike. I peeked from behind my tree to see Aria, Zane, and Ren talking around the campfire they made.

"Who do you want to go after first?" Ren asked the other two members of his group.

"I really want to go after Levi for betraying us. We can do it nice and slow too," Zane offered, poking at the fire.

"Yeah, I do want to go after him along with that girl he teamed up with, but I also have a bone to pick with Vanity," Aria growled.

"Why? I like her," Ren chipped in and Zane agreed with him.

"What, that whore? Please, she was only using you," she scoffed. The boys frowned, but didn't object to their master's opinion, like the good little dogs they were.

On that note, Magnus and Vanity exchanged the birdcall signal and threw their knives. Magnus's knife was embedded in Ren's jugular and Vanity's knife found a home in Zane's heart. Two cannons immediately followed. A now white Aria jumped up and started to run, but I threw my fish-wire nets with weights on them and ensnared her legs. She fell to the ground in a struggling heap as we emerged from our hiding spots.

"What, that whore? Please, she was only using you," Vanity mocked her as she encircled her like prey. Kneeling down, she grabbed a handful of Aria's dark locks and roughly pulled her face up to hers. "I guess you got your wish to run into me then."

"Please! Help me!" Aria pleaded to me and Magnus. It was rather pitiful and pathetic really. Even on her dying breath, she had to rely on manipulating others to survive.

"Sorry, sweety, it's just you and me now. No big, strong men to save you this time," Vanity cooed. "Help me tie her to that tree."

We tied her down with the fish-wire nets so that the more she struggled, the more blood she would lose. Once we were done, Vanity paced back and forth in front of her pale victim. It was almost too frightening to watch. "You know, ever since I came to the Capitol, you've been a thorn in my side. You were always competing with me for attention and I couldn't have that. We are very similar though. We manipulate men with our beauty. The difference between us is that you do it to stay alive while I do it for entertainment," Vanity scoffed. She grabbed Aria's face and made her look her in the eyes. I could see the apparent fear in her eyes and the darkness in Vanity's. "You think you're beautiful. Please, look at you; drab and plain straight black hair, flat-chested, a little chubby, not to mention lazy, whiny, and a whore. There's nothing special about you. Do you want to know why guys like Ren and Zane were attracted to you? It's because you're _easy. _I could've swayed them my way if I wanted to, but they were too weak for my liking." Vanity swatted her face away from her and stood back up. She retrieved a carving knife out of her boot before continuing. "Will you scream for me like you do for your boys?"

Taking a handful of Aria's hair, she used her knife to cut her locks and she threw them back at her face. "Do you think you're pretty now?" Vanity asked. Aria was now sobbing in fear and struggling against the bonds that were cutting deeper into her skin.

"Please stop, please!" Aria shrieked.

"I bet those words taste very bitter in your mouth, considering this might be the first time you've used them," Vanity scoffed. She made a quick swipe across Aria's face with her knife. There was now a deep red line that made its way diagonally across her face and started to bleed profusely. Vanity's insane rage seemed to heighten as she continued to mar the girl's face with her knife. Once her face was covered in blood, Vanity kicked the girl in the stomach. Aria bent over as far as she could and wretched up her breakfast. "Do you think you're special now?" Vanity demanded the girl who was begging for death. Aria was in tears and screaming for mercy. I was sure that every tribute in the arena could hear her. In a fit of rage, Vanity grabbed a flaming piece of wood from the fire and shoved it in Aria's face. "Do you think anybody would want you now?" she screamed. She threw the piece of wood aside and grabbed Aria's face again. Her face was so grotesque now. Unevenly cropped hair framed the face that was beaten, swollen, marred, covered in puke, and burned past the point of reorganization. I almost threw up at the smell of burning flesh. "You listen to me, and you listen well. There is _nothing _special about you. Do you see this now that you're damaged goods? Nobody would want you. Nobody would have you. You are _nothing."_

Vanity got what she wanted. She broke the wreck of a girl in front of us. Though her screams must have alerted every tribute within a mile away, no one would dare come affront us. We were the ones who weren't afraid to make the first kill. Now satisfied with her work, with a flick of her wrist, Vanity's knife was lodged inside of Aria's skull. The third cannon echoed through the treetops and all was silent after that. And then there were ten.

**Noelle Tomas**

I was startled by the sound of cannons. Two cannons. I stood frozen, listening. It was very far away, but I could still hear it. The screams of a tribute. I lightly shook as the female tribute's screams continued for nearly twenty minutes before her cannon went off. I stood silently alone as her screams still echoed in my head. I felt light headed and used a nearby tree for support. I shuddered in disgust as I felt a little bit of bile rise in my throat. I'm sure I won't be able to get any sleep tonight…

**Kin Ochi**

Levi and I have been making traps throughout the eastern area of the arena. It consisted of woven nets covered in the flammable concoction we made. Once we caught something, Levi promised that I would do the honors of setting it alight. I could hardly contain my joy. My excitement was short lived as we heard two cannons go off. Levi froze and continued to listen attentively. In the distance, we could hear screams and I knew exactly whom those screams came from.

"That's Aria," Levi confirmed. "The two cannons must have been those brutes she gathered. My best guess is that the careers got to her. I think it's in our best interest to steer clear from them."

I silently nodded. Though the brutality of the careers killings unnerved me, I couldn't help but smile at Aria's demise. I'm sure that I wasn't the only one. With everything that she has done, she had it coming. I'm just sad that I couldn't have killed her myself. Hearing her screams as she burned would have been glorious.

**Rhu Glabra**

We halted our travels when we heard two cannons go off. Not too far away, we could hear screams.

"It sounds like the careers got a head start," Arya muttered.

"Come on, the girl's screams sound like they're a little over a mile away. If we find her, we find the careers," I stated, continuing on our journey.

Arya and Shade silently followed me, but I was sure a thousand things were going on in their heads. I had to win. Shade's a smart guy, so I'm sure he has already figured out that I broke off our deal. He doesn't know that I already set a plan to kill Seneca Crane in motion, so he would think that for me to kill him, I would have to win the games. I think because of that, he's become very wary of my actions. I needed to distance myself from the two people I've grown close to over the past few days, because when it all comes down to it, I will have to kill them both.

* * *

**Well there you have it folks, our first three cannons. (Well first SYOT cannon considering Zane and Ren were insterted OC's to support the story)**

**Hmm, well now it's all a matter of me playing god and choosing who to kill next. Please don't take it personally if your character gets killed off. _Somebody _has to to die.**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	19. Fire and Tears

**Levi Pierce**

Kin and I continued to trudge around the forest setting up traps. I kept a map in my head of the eastern forest area and knew exactly where I had placed each of our traps, so we wouldn't accidentally trigger one. It wasn't until around sundown did we stumble upon footprints. Considering these footprints were alone, it had to be one of the girls we were searching for, and judging by the foot size, it had to be the younger of the two. Obviously, she was from an urban district since she didn't know how to cover her tracks. We quietly followed the footprints towards the source. We hid behind some trees about twenty yards away from our target. The girl with curly black hair sat around a fire, eating a squirrel for dinner.

I hunched down and began to whisper our plan to Kin. "I'll go in by myself and try to take her on. You hover around and stay hidden until I call for your help."

I slowly crept forward and once I was about a few feet behind her, I pounced. She spun around at once, but I tackled her to the ground and tried to restrain her. Surprisingly, for a small girl, she was quite strong. She kicked me off of her and pulled out a dagger hidden in her sleeve. I jumped back and pulled out a knife out of my jacket as well.

"So you're all alone I see," she stated as we circled each other. "Your three teammates died early today." She must've thought I had continued my alliance with them.

"Yeah, but I can obviously handle myself," I replied, playing along.

"Funny that you came out without a scratch," she commented humorlessly.

"I was in the right place at the right time. The careers didn't even miss me."

With that, I made the first move. I lunged at her and made a swipe, but she jumped out of the way. Damn, she was fast. She spun around me and managed to embed her knife in my left arm. I made another swipe for her, but she jumped away to safety.

"Face it, you may be bigger than me, but you're also a lot slower. You don't stand a chance," she stated, readying herself.

I gritted my teeth in pain as I put pressure on my bleeding wound. My left arm was useless at the moment. I had to think of a plan…

"I see how you managed to pull a high training score," I stated, quickly forming a plan in my head.

"Yes, but I don't see how you got a higher score than me," she growled and attacked. I lunged for her again, but she jumped backwards and out of the way. I was never good at combat. I continued pushing her back, but she finally got back the offence. She threw her knife and it found its mark in my right thigh, sending me to the ground. She smirked in triumph at my lowered form. "That shows you to underestimate me. You shouldn't have come looking for me." I raised my knife and she only shook her head at me. "You won't be able to hit me."

I threw my knife and she jumped back, triggering the trap behind her. She gave a startled scream as the net ensnared her and pulled her high above the ground. She didn't even have her knife anymore, now that it was in my thigh.

"Kin!" I called. A few seconds later, she walked into the clearing with us. "She's all yours, just as promised," I muttered, taking our backpack from her to treat my wounds.

"You know, you could have just called for help," Kin offered, looking up at the struggling girl in the thick net trap.

"I told you I could handle it by myself. I just wasn't planning on her being so strong."

"Well, you did your part. Now it's time for me to have some fun," she replied with a smirk. There were probably a million ways to burn the girl going through her head.

I simply nodded and started putting the proper ointments and herbs on my wounds. They should be fine in the morning. "Just make it quick. We don't want to have every tribute aware of where we are."

Kin splashed a little bit of the flammable liquid onto the girl for good measure before grabbing one of the fiery sticks from the girl's fire. A twisted grin formed on Kin's face as she looked at the girl's horror-struck expression. "Let's make a bonfire."

Kin threw the fire at her and she lit up like a candle. Her screams resounded all around us and I wanted to throw up from the smell of burning flesh and the horror of it all, but Kin was so entranced by the scene. I swear she didn't blink the entire time. The trap fell down and so did the body of the young girl. She screamed and continued to struggle hopelessly for about thirty painfully slow minutes. Now, the embers died out and her small body stilled. The flames continued to feed on her corpse as her cannon went off.

I thought now was a good time to lean against a tree and throw up.

**Vanity Boswell**

We were camping in the forest when we heard the fourth cannon. Now that it was dusk, they played over the faces of the dead tributes. They played over the tributes that died in the bloodbath before they did the ones who died today. Finally, they revealed the pictures and names of the four fatalities from today's killings. Ren Morrington from District Nine, Zane Resping from District Eleven, Aria Garnet from District Seven, and Noelle Tomas from District Two. I wonder who killed the last one. Maybe she died from poisoning or a Capitol mutt. Even if she were young, she would still have to be tough if she were from District Two.

"Nine tributes left," Magnus commented, looking up at the sky.

"Who do we go after now?" Siren asked, cleaning his bloodied fish-wire nets.

"There is the District Twelve and Two alliance, Levi from Aria's alliance, and two other girls left. Since Levi wasn't with Aria, he must've abandoned their group during the bloodbath. It was a smart move considering it saved his life. I say we go after Arya, Shade, and Rhu. They will be easier to track considering they are in a group. Plus, the singles will more than likely die of something in the forest before we actually find them," I stated as I sharpened my knives.

"They will be tough to beat though. Even if we successfully kill all of them, we will be weakened," Magnus cut in.

"Yes, but the more time the singles spend in the arena, the more weakened they become. They don't have others to help them like we do. If we defeat the other big alliance, the rest will be easy pickings," I countered. "So are we at an agreement?" Before I got an answer, I heard a twig snap behind me, and I released a dagger. I heard a groan and jumped up. "It's an ambush!"

Just as Magnus and Siren jumped up, arrows started to fly in our direction. I used my pack as a shield and prepared to fight. Suddenly, Shade leapt out from the bushes and started to attack Siren. The two wrestled on the ground, but I couldn't focus on them. I needed to destroy the source of the arrows. I threw a knife blindly at the direction of the arrows and hit my mark. Arya fell out of the tree she was hiding in and collapsed in pain. I heard a cannon as Magnus ran at her with his sword in hand.

"No, not her!" Shade shouted.

Magnus raised his sword to strike her, but Shade came barreling in and countered his attack with his own sword. Magnus tried to hold him off, but Shade was too strong. With a strong swipe of his arm, Shade made a gash in Magnus's abdomen, sending him to the ground. I let out a pained shriek and threw my knives at him, embedding one in his good arm, abdomen and leg. Instantly, Shade fell to the ground in a bloody heap. I threw my last knife at him as I gathered Magnus and fled.

Magnus stumbled along with me, trying to support his own weight, but he was becoming heavier and heavier. Once I knew they weren't following us, I stopped and laid Magnus down. Nearly hyperventilating, I quickly took off my jacket and started to put pressure on his wound. Oh god, he was losing so much blood.

"Magnus, stay with me. Don't you dare leave me. We're not through with this, do you hear? We'll get through this together!" I shouted frantically as his lids began to flutter. He coughed violently and blood came out of his mouth. "Come on Magnus, don't die on me. You can't. I won't let you!"

"Vanity," he murmured tiredly, putting a hand on my arm. "It'll be okay…"

"YOU CALL THIS OKAY?" I demanded. "THIS IS NOT OKAY! Oh god, don't die. Please, please, please, don't die. Not you. Not now. I can't do this without you."

"Shhhh, it'll be fine," he assured me and gave me a pained smile. "We knew this time would come, I just wish I wouldn't be leaving you so soon."

"Don't say that. Magnus, please!" I pleaded, putting more pressure on his wound.

"You can do this Vanity. You can win this." his breathing started to become labored and his eyes were starting to close. "Win this… for me… Don't let me die in vain." He reached into his jacket pocket and produced his pocket watch token. "For you… remember… me." My hands shook at the sight of it and tears escaped my eyes. I remembered the vain thoughts I had before the games about retrieving the expensive heirloom from his corpse after I won. He coughed once more and struggled to breathe. "Vanity… I love…"

His cannon went off before he could finish. I let out a strangled sob as the light disappeared from his eyes. I clutched his jacket and balled into his chest, wishing in vain he would come back to life and comfort me. The one person I ever loved in my life… and I lost him.

**Rhu Glabra**

I removed the dagger embedded in my shoulder and stumbled into the clearing. Siren's body lay motionless on the floor, his neck snapped. Shade and Arya laid in a crumpled heap on the ground. Arya had a knife in her leg while Shade had multiple blades inside of him. I'm sure he wouldn't die if he took proper care of his wounds. Arya removed the knife from her leg with a strangled cry and gasped in pain.

"Rhu, grab the medical kit. We need to tend to Shade's wounds!" Arya stated hysterically.

I took an arrow from my back and prepared my bow. Arya's face changed from worry to shock as I pointed it at her. Wordlessly, I released it, but of course, Shade moved into its path. It found a new home in his chest, dangerously close to his heart. Now that wound, he may die from. I quickly gathered our things and fled. I figured that my leaving the alliance was evident now. As I retreated, I knew Arya wouldn't go after me. She would be too worried about Shade, whom I'm sure would survive if she immediately treated his wounds.

I quickly traveled towards the direction Vanity and Magnus headed towards. It wasn't long until I heard a cannon. Magnus's cannon. Finally, I stumbled upon Vanity and Magnus. I waited silently a few feet away from her as she sobbed over her dead cousin's body. I never thought that this girl could feel sorrow. She sat up now, covered in his blood and wiped her eyes.

"Come to finish the job?" she asked bitterly.

I stood in front of her and offered her my hand. "I came here to offer an alliance."

Vanity threw her head back and gave a mirthless laugh. "You kill my teammate, you kill my cousin, and now you offer me an alliance? And I thought _I _was the vile, wretched, and pathetic one," she spat disdainfully, quoting my words from our last encounter.

"_I _didn't kill anyone, but I can help you get your revenge on the person who killed your cousin."

Vanity looked from my hand to Magnus. Her eyes softened considerably when she looked at him. She placed a soft kiss on his forehead before wiping her tears and taking my hand. Once she was on her feet again, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked into my eyes with a new kind of determination. "I don't care for the girl, but the boy is _mine." _

In her hand, she clutched a golden, bloodstained pocket watch.

Seven tributes left.

* * *

**Wow, three deaths in one chapter o.o**

**Bye bye Aria, Noelle, Siren, and Magnus :(**

**Bleh, wasn't Noelle's death gruesome? Uh oh, Rhu and Vanity have struck an alliance. Will Shade and Arya be okay? So far Ivy is the only one who has yet to run into trouble, but I'm sure that will be short lived.**

**So here's who's left: Vanity, Shade, Kin, Levi, Ivy, Arya, and Rhu**

**Who will be next? o.O**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	20. Realizations and Flames

**Vanity Boswell**

Rhu and I sat around the fire that he made for us in silence. I turned over Magnus's pocket watch in my hand and watched the fire's reflection dance along the golden face. We probably sat like that for about a couple of hours before either of us spoke.

"So… I was able to guess your partner's background, but I know nothing of yours," I stated, breaking the silence. "I guess you've always been a mystery to me."

Rhy shifted uncomfortably, but replied "When I was young, my parents were murdered and my twin brother and I barely survived. Llex was paralyzed while I was literally millimeters from death. I was shot in the head," he stated, lifting some of his gold curls to reveal a scar on his forehead. After my parents' death, Llex and I had to start from scratch. We were worse off than the Seam folk, unable to work in the mines and too young to get work."

"How did you survive then," I asked softly, still staring at the pocket watch. It was nearly midnight.

"I did everything I could to survive, to keep Llex alive. I guess you could say that Llex is what Magnus was to you. I got into shady stuff… but I made a lot of money and it helped me stay alive so far… What about you?"

I snorted. "I was born into one of the wealthiest families in District One. My district idolized me for my beauty like a prize. I was a trophy ever since I was born. I got everything I had ever wanted on a silver platter and more. No matter how nasty I acted, I could do no wrong. That was the thing though, nobody saw past my appearance. People either loved me or hated me for my appearance. I grew up knowing that I could manipulate anybody with my beauty. Only Magnus saw through my outer shell. He saw the ugly, wretched creature behind the perfect mask. I think at first, he hated me because of it, but then he grew to pity me. He was the only one who saw that I was truly alone… And then there's you who saw through me as well, and you're right. I am vile, wicked, and cruel. I know that. It's what society made me. It's what I am and nothing will change that."

"You know, I've told your bad traits, but I've never told you what I admire about you. You don't need someone to protect you to survive. You're strong. You're not afraid to do whatever it takes to get what you want. You're ambitious. You make up these elaborate plans that make all the other tributes lose their heads. You're smart. Funny, because I believe those were the traits that I said I hated about you," Rhu stated with a smirk.

I cracked a smile. "Thanks. I really needed that."

He smiled and looked down at his clasped hands. His smile slowly faded and he became serious. "We need to think of a plan."

I took a deep breath and tucked Magnus's pocket watch inside my jacket. "Right."

"The remaining people left are you, me, Arya, Shade, Ivy, District Six, and District Seven."

"Kin and Levi," I confirmed.

"Right, I say we go after Arya and Shade first. They are wounded and right now would be the ideal time to attack. They couldn't have gotten far anyways. We can pick off the remaining three afterwards."

"And what happens when it's just the two of us," I asked quietly.

He stared at me for a moment. "We'll figure it out when we get there."

I looked at him and put a hand on his chest. I hesitated, but I slowly leaned over and kissed him… and this time he kissed me back.

**Arya Nightshade**

I sat watching over Shade's sleeping form. I had removed each of the daggers from his body and the arrow Rhu shot. I shuddered at the thought that the arrow was meant for me. Why would Rhu betray us like that? Shade had been running a fever for a long time, but with the help of some herbs that I found, it went down within an hour. I had used most of our ointment for his wounds and what was left for mine. Shade was breathing normally and he seemed fine now, but after Rhu left, I was scared. I was so scared that he would die. My heart just dropped. It was like when Leo's health took a turn for the worse. I can't bare to lose him… but I can't afford to die. Not now. Not here. I couldn't do that to Dad and Leo, but… Shade…

I ran a hand through his messy black hair. It always seemed to hang in front of his golden eyes. He looked so peaceful when he slept. My anxiety started to simmer down just by watching him. I don't know what I'd do if he died. I think… I think I might love him…

**Levi Pierce**

I bolted up, awakened by a nightmare. I was being confronted by the ghost of my mother and the poor girl that I helped murder. I shuddered as I remembered their words and accusations. I shook off the nightmare and looked around. Kin was gone. I didn't need to see her kill that girl to know she was off her rocker. I quickly got up and started to look for her.

"Kin?" I called, wandering from our camp. I walked for a few minutes until I found her standing in the middle of a clearing, a piece of flaming wood in hand. Panic overcame me as she started to drop the flame. "Kin!" I shouted, but it was too late. The flame hit the ground and the area burst into flames. I grabbed her and tried to drag her away. "Come on! We have to get out of here!"

She merely shook her head. "Slowly, the whole island will be engulfed in flames. The flames will encircle the island and begin to work its way inwards. Won't it be… beautiful?"

"Kin, I don't care. We have to go _now!" _

She threw a heated glare at me. "No!" She shoved me into the flames and I could feel the fire creep onto me and engulf me. I was past the point of saving. My genius was too great. Once the chemical-fed flames have touched you, you will burn to death. There was a strong wind blowing northwest as well. She was right. The way we spread the chemicals, the flames will surround the island and burn its way towards the volcano. Now, the victor will be determined on who can avoid the fire.

**Ivy Allende**

I walked silently through the woods with my pack on my back. I only stopped when I smelled something burning. I climbed a nearby tree and scanned the horizon for smoke. I wasn't expecting to see a monstrous wall of flames moving towards me at a fast pace. In the distance, I heard two cannons firing. I had to get out of here.

I scrambled down the tree and took off running. The beach. I can run to the north beach, use my backpack as a floatation device, and wait out the fire. Now it was all a matter of outrunning the fire and hoping that the other tributes perish with it.

* * *

**Uh oh, Ivy's the only one who knows of the fire so far**

**Next chapter might be the last day in the arena, so we will have our victor!**

******So who would you bet on?**

**Here's who's left: Vanity, Shade, Ivy, Arya, and Rhu**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	21. Blood Rush

**Arya Nightshade**

I woke up to the smell of smoke. I immediately woke up and looked around us. I couldn't see any fire, but I knew something wasn't right. I quickly climbed a nearby tree and scouted the area. A huge wave of fire was sweeping the arena. From what I could tell, it was encircling the island and moving inwards. My heart pounded in my chest as I jumped down and shook Shade.

"Shade! Shade, we need to get out of here. There's a fire!" I shouted before quickly gathering our stuff. He quickly bolted up, but groaned once he did. Some of his wounds reopened when he did that. Oh shit, this can't be happening. Not now. "Please, Shade, let's get out of here! It's surrounding us."

He got up as fast as he could without reopening his wounds and we started towards the volcano. "Did you see it?"

"Yeah, it's encircling the island and making its way inwards. We need to get to the volcano."

We started to head towards the volcano, but Shade's wounds were slowing us down. Please, please let us get there safely.

**Vanity Boswell**

It was nearly daybreak when Rhu roughly shook me awake. "Vanity, we need to go," he warned before he went to grab our stuff. There was something urgent and worrisome in his tone.

"What, why?" I yawned, sitting up.

"There's a fire making its way around the island. It's encircling us and moving towards the center and fast. It's less than a mile away from us. We have to move now."

I realized that the sky was red, not because of the sun, but because of the fire. I quickly got up, wide awake now, and took my pack from Rhu. We set off at a run towards the volcano. What could have caused this? Did the Capitol rig this?

**Ivy Allende**

The flames gained on me and I could feel the heat from it press against my back. It was my warning of death. It was either painful running or to be burned alive. After about an hour of running, I finally made it to the north beach. Dawn was breaking over the ocean's horizon and I knew I was home free. I stumbled onto the sand and started to run towards the ocean, taking off my backpack to prepare it as a floatation device. I was halfway there when I felt something snag my foot and pull me backwards. My bag went flying from my hands as the thing that grabbed my foot cut into my skin. All of a sudden, I was encased in a sharp netting that cut into my skin. The more I struggled, the more it constricted and cut in deeper. I started to hyperventilate as I saw the flames approaching quickly. My bag was too far away for me to retrieve my knife and I couldn't tear through the netting. I couldn't do anything. I was going to die. My hand flew to the coral necklace around my neck and my thoughts went to Jeremy and Shell. Just like the necklace gave me strength during my interview, it gave me strength now. I needed to be strong for Jeremy and Shell. It didn't take long for the flames to engulf me in their terrifying heat. I'm so sorry Jeremy and Shell. I promise, I'll see you both some day…

**Rhu Glabra**

We ran towards the volcano, ironically, the thing we first started to run from. I only realized there was a fire when I saw the fire tinting the sky red. It took a little longer for the smell of smoke to reach me. It was a good thing that the volcano was only about a mile and a half from where we camped. Not long after we started running, we heard a cannon go off. That was the third one today. Once we got to the volcano, we started to climb. The lava had created ledges to grab onto, which made it a lot easier to climb. The top of the volcano was also completely sealed, so we didn't have to teeter on the edge. I got to the top first and offered my hand to Vanity. Right when I pulled her up, an arrow whizzed passed, inches away from my face. We both turned in surprise to see Arya and Shade on the other side of the volcano.

"You traitor!" Arya screamed. I could see the hurt from my betrayal written all over her face.

Arya reached for another arrow now. I quickly pulled out my bow and reached for an arrow as well, but Vanity acted first. She released a knife and it found its mark inside of Arya's heart.

"Arya!" Shade shouted and caught her before she collapsed. He didn't take out the blade for the fear that it would release more blood. She was going to die. "Arya, please. Look at me. Stay with me, Arya."

"S-Shade," she stuttered. She was fading fast. "I-I… Leo… Dad… You…"

"Arya, don't do this to me. Don't… please," Shade pleaded as she lay dying in his arms. "I love you."

She smiled for the last time. "I know…" She now lay limp in his arms. Her cannon rang throughout the arena.

"How does it feel?" Vanity asked slowly, walking towards him. "To have someone you love die in your arms. You took Magnus from me. I returned the favor."

I grabbed her arm and she turned towards me, giving me a sad smile. "You were the only man to ever own my heart. I'm sorry, but I have to do this."

With that, she shoved me off the volcano and turned towards an angry Shade. I stumbled off the cliff, but caught onto a ledge. Below me was a sea of flames, crashing upon the black cliff. I hoisted myself up and began ascending the cliff once more. I needed to save Vanity. As I climbed, I could hear their weapons clashing. Please don't let me be too late.

I pulled myself back onto the top to see Shade and Vanity fighting intensely. Vanity saw me and was distracted for a brief second, but it was long enough for Shade to catch her off guard. He made a long swipe across her neck with his sword, ending their fight.

"NO!" I shouted as she fell to the ground motionlessly. I pulled out an arrow and released it into Shade's heart. This time, it hit dead center.

Shade collapsed next to the bodies of Vanity and Arya. His cannon immediately resounded as Vanity's body twitched with her last ounce of energy. I quickly skidded to her side and applied pressure to her neck, but she was on the verge of death. She turned her head slightly to look at me and gave me one last smile. It wasn't one of the fake, dazzling smiles, but one of her rare real smiles. That was the beauty of it.

"I knew you wouldn't die," she murmured breathlessly before her eyes glassed over.

Her cannon was the last to go off before Seneca Crane's voice echoed throughout the arena. "Panem, I introduce this year's Hunger Games victor, Rhu Glabra!"

I felt a tear roll down my cheek for all the dead tributes, for my betrayal to Shade and Arya, for my love for a dead girl, for my family, and for the districts. I kissed Vanity's hairline and closed my three friends' eyes before standing up to be retrieved by the hovercraft. The last thing I did in the arena was kiss my fingers and hold them towards the sky.

* * *

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	22. Endings and Beginnings

**Rhu Glabra**

I sat numbly in the hovercraft, waiting to be shipped to a hospital in the capitol. I didn't realize how much time had passed until we arrived. Once I stood up, I felt something heavy in my pocket. I reached inside, once I saw nobody was looking, and pulled out a golden pocket watch. I quickly put it back in my pocket and continued to follow my guards.

**Xoxoxoxoxox**

I was polished to perfection before the award ceremony. The pocket watch, now equip with a chain, sat in the inside of my suit jacket. I sat waiting for the end of President Snow's speech beside Haymitch.

"You're doing great kid. Wait until after the ceremony to break down," Haymitch murmured. "Just think that after all of this, you can go home."

"Yeah? At what cost?" I asked hoarsely. Those were my first words since the games.

Once Snow finished speaking, he motioned for me to rise so I can be crowned. "Congratulations, Rhu Glabra, for being the victor for this year's Hunger Games. You must be so proud," he stated, trying to get a rise out of me.

I only inwardly smirked in satisfaction as Seneca collapsed behind the curtains, drowning in his own blood.

**Xoxoxoxoxoxox**

Immediately after I returned home, I sent money to Arya's family. It would be able to cover Leo's medical problems and make it so that Mr. Nightshade would never have to work again. I found out that my brother was living under the identity of Alex Gabriel. It wasn't a registered name so he wouldn't have to worry about possibly being reaped next year. It was too risky to visit him, but I had some of my connections deliver our letters to each other. I sent out letters to the family or friends of the dead tributes, giving my apologies and support for their grievance. It seemed like I had no time to myself before the victory tour. It disgusted me.

I sat in one of the train compartments, staring out the window as we left District Eleven. Haymitch entered not long after and sat across from me.

"You know, most victors drown their sorrows in alcohol, morphine, or money. You seem to be taking this very well."

"Because there is one thing that drives me now and throwing myself a pity party won't accomplish anything," I replied evenly, turning over my pocket watch in my hand.

"And that is?"

I leaned forward and looked him in the eyes. "The fall of the Capitol."

* * *

**So my lovely readers, there you have it. The 74th Hunger Games.**

******You know, it's so hard to kill characters you like so much. It's like a part of you die with them.**

**I'll be starting a second SYOT soon based on the 75th Hunger Games and Rhu and Haymitch will be in it.**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	23. Show you something

**Something that Fernlight wrote...**

**Aria Garnet**

I woke up. Everything was beautiful. The trees reminded me so much of my home. Wait, why was I here?  
I remembered...  
Something ensnared my legs and I fell face first in the dirt as I tried to run. No No No this can't be happening.  
"What, that whore? Please, she was only using you," Vanity mocked me. She leered over me down and grabbed a handful of Aria's dark locks and roughly pulled her face up to hers. "I guess you got your wish to run into me then."  
"Please! Help me!" I pleaded. I didn't want to die. What about Hatch? What about my family? This couldn't be the end of me!  
"Sorry, sweetie, it's just you and me now. No big, strong men to save you this time," Vanity cooed. "Help me tie her to that tree."  
The ropes cut into me as I continues to struggle. I couldn't accept death like this!  
"You know, ever since I came to the Capitol, you've been a thorn in my side. You were always competing with me for attention and I couldn't have that. We are very similar though. We manipulate men with our beauty. The difference between us is that you do it to stay alive while I do it for entertainment," Vanity scoffed. She roughly grabbed my face/ "You think you're beautiful. Please, look at you; drab and plain straight black hair, flat-chested, a little chubby, not to mention lazy, whiny, and a whore. There's nothing special about you. Do you want to know why guys like Ren and Zane were attracted to you? It's because you're easy. I could've swayed them my way if I wanted to, but they were too weak for my liking." Vanity swatted her face away from her and stood back up."Will you scream for me like you do for your boys?"  
In my panic I shot a pleading glance around. Was there anyone who could help me? She took my hair which I had once treasured so much, cut it off and threw it back at my face.  
"Do you think you're pretty now?" Vanity asked viciously. Satisfaction was gleaming in her eyes as she watched me struggle.  
"Please stop, please!" I shrieked. Escape was out of the question, now all I could want was a quick death, but I knew this girl wasn't going to give it to me.  
"I bet those words taste very bitter in your mouth, considering this might be the first time you've used them," Vanity scoffed. She took her knife and began cutting my face to bits. My face which I had relied on for everything. She was insane no doubt about it now. The cold steel cut into me leaving a burning trail of pain. I felt the blood roll down my neck. Next she took her boot and kicked me so hard it forced the food back out of my stomach. "Do you think you're special now?" Vanity demanded AI couldn't control the screams that came out of my mouth. Nothing could. I was bloodied and bruised. What else does she want?  
Vanity grabbed a flaming piece of wood from the fire and shoved it at me "Do you think anybody would want you now?" she screamed. The burning only registered with the cold pain. "You listen to me, and you listen well. There is nothing special about you. Do you see this now that you're damaged goods? Nobody would want you. Nobody would have you. You are nothing."  
Eventually I stopped feeling the pain. I shut off as a my minds eye began to fade to white. Then nothing existed.  
I touched my face to find it whole and perfect. Same with my hair. I ran to the nearest stream and looked in. I saw myself whole and flawless, in a beautiful green dress. It was going to be OK now. I would get through everything now. After all I did look amazing, and maybe I would see Hatch too. And maybe he was more than a friend.  
Then there was a little girl who appeared across from me. I remember her. She was my best friend from so long ago. She had disappeared.  
"Lana?" I whispered. "Is that you?"  
She smiled and nodded, "Come here I want to show you something." She held out her hand and I took it. And led me through the forests.

**Noelle Thomas**

I woke up on a beach, just like the one from my favorite story that my father used to tell me. It was peaceful soothing and quiet. I gasped as I touched my face and looked at my arms, none of the ugly burns covered me anymore.  
"So you're all alone I see," I said looking at the district 7 boy. "Your three teammates died early today."  
"Yeah, but I can obviously handle myself," He replied.  
"Funny that you came out without a scratch," I said.  
"I was in the right place at the right time. The careers didn't even miss me." He said seemingly amused.  
He lunged but I danced away. This would be an easy kill.  
"Face it, you may be bigger than me, but you're also a lot slower. You don't stand a chance," I stated as I sent my knife into him.  
"I see how you managed to pull a high training score," He stated grimacing.  
"Yes, but I don't see how you got a higher score than me," I glared before cutting his arm with my knife/. "That shows you to underestimate me. You shouldn't have come looking for me." He took his knife and vainly raised to towards me. "You won't be able to hit me."  
He threw it and I jumped back instinctively. Then something pulled my up. I was trapped in a net. No doubt he had planned this.  
"Kin!" He shouted. A few seconds later, she walked into the clearing with us. "She's all yours, just as promised,"  
"You know, you could have just called for help," The girl, who had spilled punch on the other girl commented, casting me a disdainful glance.  
"I told you I could handle it by myself. I just wasn't planning on her being so strong." At least I had done some damage on him/  
"Well, you did your part. Now it's time for me to have some fun," she replied with a smirk.  
"Just make it quick. We don't want to have every tribute aware of where we are."  
She doused me in some foul liquid before grabbing a flaming stick. No no no no no. Please no. "Let's make a bonfire."  
She threw the stick at me and watched as I flailed in the burning fire. I was blinded and all I could do was try to vainly fight my way out until I died.  
I was dead. What about Belle? Noel? And Bianca? Would they live? I promised them I would come back. I looked around. Maybe there was some way out? I touched my neck and was relieved to find my snowflake necklace still there.  
"Noelle?" I hear my father ask  
I whirled around to see him and a woman next to him. "Mom? Dad?" I asked excitedly.  
They nodded and held their arms out. I didn't hesitate from running straight into them.  
"Oh Noelle," My mom whispered, "We are so proud of you."  
Dad was smiling down at me, "Come on, Noelle has to see something first."  
I looked questioningly up at them. They each took my hand and began leading me along the shore.

**Magnus Luxuria**  
I woke up in a forest, just like the one at the edge of the district that me and Vanity use to go to with our families. I turned around and saw Vanity sleeping next to me. She looked the same as always, Perfect golden hair and flawless skin. She looked peaceful and even was smiling softly. I reached over to her when suddenly it all hit me. I was dead.  
"No, not her!" Shade shouted as I advanced towards the girl on the ground.  
I brought my sword up to kill her but he countered it with his own and pushed me back. He kept swiping furious blows at me., and soon I knew this was how I was going to die. Shade made a gash in my abdomen and I crashed into the ground. Vanity shrieked and threw several of her knives at him and he collapsed next to m as well. I could feel the blood slowly draining out of me. Vanity helped me up and half dragged me out of there.  
"Magnus, stay with me. Don't you dare leave me. We're not through with this, do you hear? We'll get through this together!" She shouted frantically as my vision began fading in and out of focus. I coughed and I felt the warm blood splatter on my cheeks. "Come on Magnus, don't die on me. You can't. I won't let you!"  
"Vanity," I tried to tell her. "It'll be okay…"  
"YOU CALL THIS OKAY?" She seemed on the verge of tears. "THIS IS NOT OKAY! Oh god, don't die. Please, please, please, don't die. Not you. Not now. I can't do this without you."  
"Shh, it'll be fine," I tried to smile at her but it was hard. "We knew this time would come, I just wish I wouldn't be leaving you so soon."  
"Don't say that. Magnus, please!" She was starting to cry now.  
"You can do this Vanity. You can win this." I knew my end was coming very soon so I had to tell her this. "Win this… for me… Don't let me die in vain." I grasped in my pocket and feebly handed her the watch.. "For you… remember… me." Real tears ran down her face. I remembered before the games when I thought how alone she would be when I died. Well now my heart broke along with hers "Vanity… I love…"  
I reached over to Vanity. If she was here then She must have died too. I gently shook her shoulder. "Vanity wake up"

**Levi Pierce**  
When I opened my eyes I saw sprawling forest. Like back at home. I touched the grass around me softly. It was so beautiful here. Then it hit me. I wasn't alive. I was dead, where was this now?  
"Kin?" I called, wandering from our camp. I walked for a few minutes until I found her standing in the middle of a clearing, a piece of flaming wood in hand. Panic overcame me as she started to drop the flame. "Kin!" I shouted, but it was too late. The flame hit the ground and the area burst into flames. I grabbed her and tried to drag her away. "Come on! We have to get out of here!"  
She merely shook her head. "Slowly, the whole island will be engulfed in flames. The flames will encircle the island and begin to work its way inwards. Won't it be… beautiful?"  
"Kin, I don't care. We have to go now!"  
She threw a heated glare at me. "No!" She shoved me into the flames and I could feel the fire creep onto me and engulf me. I was past the point of saving. My genius was too great. Once the chemical-fed flames have touched you, you will burn to death.  
I made a choked sound. After looking myself over I realized I was OK. No burns, no nothing. I felt a tug. Like something was urging me to got to the forest on my left. It was as good a direction as any to go. So I got up and began walking.

**Kin Ochi**  
I opened my eyes from an amazing dream to find myself in an even better one. I was dead. But everything here was so perfect, but then again as was my death.  
I pushed Levi into the fire. Then I stood as the flames surrounded me. Even as their heat started to scald me I couldn't pull away. Their were beautiful, golden and reds danced cheerily everywhere. I closed my eyes and let the flames take me.  
Now I was sitting in a bed of hot coals. I touched the flames around me and to my delight they didn't burn me. Everything felt fine. I looked around. I was on a volcano but the flames didn't hurt me. I was giddy with exhilaration from the flames almost.  
I saw a little ball of flame bobbling ahead of me. For some reason I ran after it. It began leading me away from the volcano. I didn't care all that mattered right now was the bobbling ball of fire/

**Ivy Allende**  
I opened my eyes and blinked. I was in a snowbank. I bolted up expecting to feel a cold win but there was none. It was unnatural that I was in a snowy meadow while it was 72 degrees and sunny. It seemed like the snow trailed off. I looked to my left. It was many ice mirrors that reflected back clear. There was a bar running across at my waist height. It was like a ballet studio which I saw once in a picture. I grasped the bar and flowed smoothly through a familiar routine. Of I couldn't wait to tell Jeremy and Shell. Then it hit me and I felt the wind knocked out of me. I was dead. Jeremy and Shell..I couldn't see them.  
The flames gained on me and I could feel the heat from it press against my back. It was my warning of death. It was either painful running or to be burned alive. After about an hour of running, I finally made it to the north beach. Dawn was breaking over the ocean's horizon and I knew I was home free. I stumbled onto the sand and started to run towards the ocean, taking off my backpack to prepare it as a floatation device. I was halfway there when I felt something snag my foot and pull me backwards. My bag went flying from my hands as the thing that grabbed my foot cut into my skin. All of a sudden, I was encased in a sharp netting that cut into my skin. The more I struggled, the more it constricted and cut in deeper. I started to hyperventilate as I saw the flames approaching quickly. My bag was too far away for me to retrieve my knife and I couldn't tear through the netting. I couldn't do anything. I was going to die. My hand flew to the coral necklace around my neck and my thoughts went to Jeremy and Shell. Just like the necklace gave me strength during my interview, it gave me strength now. I needed to be strong for Jeremy and Shell. It didn't take long for the flames to engulf me in their terrifying heat. I'm so sorry Jeremy and Shell. I promise, I'll see you both some day…  
Figuring there was no one else here I broke down and let some tears escape me. No no no. What would Shell do without me? And how was Jeremy?  
I buried my face in my hand, and wiped my tears away before composing myself. I have to figure out where I am, and maybe if I could get back to 8.  
I checked myself in the mirror to make sure my face wasn't red or tear streaked. I saw I reflection of someone. No...it couldn't be  
"Dad?" I asked, afraid that if I turned around he would disappear.  
He walked closer and wrapped me in a hug, "Ivy,"  
I turned around and hugged him back like a little girl. "Oh daddy, I have-"  
He put a finger over my mouth to shush me, "Wait, you can tell me everything soon, I have to show you something first."  
Then with his arm over me he led me off.

**Arya Nightshade**

When I woke up again I was shocked. I was in a meadow, much like the one back in 12. Last thing I remember...

I looked at Rhu with Vanity across the volcano.  
"You traitor!" The words slipped out before I knew they did.  
Now that he was looking at me I knew this was my one chance, even though I didn't want to kill him. As contemptuous and annoy and a jackass as he was he was still my friend. I fired my arrow. I whizzed by his head. I reached for another one. But something stopped me.  
My brain registered the cold steel inside me but not the pain. I didn't have to look down to know I was going to die. The only thing I regret was leaving Dad, Leo, and Shade. Shade... I never would get to tell him I loved him.  
"Arya!" Shade shouted and caught me as I fell, but his voice sounded so distant. " Arya, please. Look at me. Stay with me, Arya."  
"S-Shade," I tried to get out. "I-I… Leo… Dad… You…"  
I wanted to tell Dad and Leo I was sorry for leaving them. I wanted to tell Shade how stupid I was for not spending what time I could with him, and how I was to idiotic to realize he loved me and I loved him back. I wanted to reassure them they would be OK, and that I'll see them again.  
"Arya, don't do this to me. Don't… please," Shade pleaded. "I love you."  
I smiled at him. The first real smile since Mom died, "I know..."  
The last thing I heard was the boom of the cannon saying I was gone.  
I was gone. Dead. I looked around, where was everyone? The only thing I could hear was the song of birds and the whistling of the wind through the surrounding forest.  
"Arya!" Someone shouted.  
I turned around and saw golden eyes and messy black hair along with a smile. I flung myself into his open arms, "Oh Shade!"  
We kissed. And for the record, even though I was dead, it was the best kiss of all time.

**Shade Verin**  
I held Arya close to me. I had waited I forgot even how long I wanted to do this.  
"I love you." She told me.  
I grinned at her, "I know."  
She smiled.  
We broke apart at someone clearing their throat. She looked like Arya, same face shape and everything, but her hair was completely blonde and her eyes were green.  
"Am I interrupting something?" She asked raising her eyebrow.  
Arya broke away awkwardly blushing and straightening her hair. "No mom.."  
She laughed, "Be sure to introduce me to your boyfriend later, but first you have to see something."  
She beckoned us to follow her and we did. And I was the happiest person in the world because Arya was holding onto my hand.

**Vanity Boswell**  
I blinked my eyes open groggily and looked up at Magnus. "Magnus!" I hugged him.  
He hugged me back, "Hey Vanity."  
"Magnus..but you.." I looked at him.  
He smiled sadly, "Don't you remember?"  
I thought back.  
I needed to save Rhu from Shade. I shoved him off the volcano edge but I knew he would make it.  
Me and Shade engaged swords, left right left up down slash. Neither of us gaining an upper hand. I flashed a glance at Rhu who was just making it back over the volcano edge.  
Shade took advantage of that and slashed me across the neck and I collapsed.  
"NO!" He shouted as I fell.  
"I knew you wouldn't die," I murmured breathlessly before everything faded out of focus and went white.  
"I-I'm dead?" I asked shakily.  
He nodded and grabbed my hand. "Come one Vanity, I think we need to go somewhere."  
"Where?" I asked.  
"Just follow me." He said as he led me off.  
Third Person  
19 kids were gathered in a meadow along with some dead people they knew. 23 as the last 4 joined them, Arya and Shade holding hands, and Vanity following Magnus.  
Tension was high in the air as Aria and Kin were glaring at each other, as were Arya and Vanity.  
Shade put a hand on Arya's shoulder and she seemed instantly calmer.  
"Kids." Arya's mom said to them as they turned their attention to her. "You are probably wondering whats going on here, but by now you probably all know you died." She paused.  
Ivy's dad cleared his throat and took over, "The thing is you all can make a choice now. You can be reborn, or you can stay here. But if you stay you are stuck here until you find peace. Which wont happen until the capitol falls."  
Slowly after the realization sunk in everyone made their choice. Aria, Levi, and most of the other tributes chose to be reborn. A fresh start they called it. They waved at the remaining tributes like they were old friends and they vanished.  
Arya looked at Shade, "You know I'm perfectly content right now, but I really wonder what Rhu is gonna be up to, I mean he won."  
Shade shrugged, "Who knows, maybe he will bring down the capitol."  
Vanity smiled, "I know he will."  
Everyone stared at her, she wasn't the nice type or the type to smile. She shrugged it off and walked off with Magnus.  
"I don't care what he's doing I'm leaving." Kin said abruptly before running back where she came from.  
Noelle looked back at them, "I'm going to wait for my sisters. I've got to see them."  
"Yeah." Ivy echoed, "I need to see Jeremy and Shell."  
They then waved and walked off as well, leaving only Shade and Arya in the clearing.  
Shade frowned, "Everything is so weird here."  
Arya grinned, "Like Vanity smiling?"  
"Definitely a highlight of the day."  
She laughed and pulled him along, "Come on this is the start of a happy ending." She grinned lopsidedly, "Sort of"


End file.
